The amount of time you will to wait before being matched can vary and depends on lots of different circumstances. But once you are matched, and the child is born – you have to wait at least one year from the date the child is placed with you before we can file with the court asking to finalize the adoption. This is due to a legally required waiting period that is part of the vetting process to help ensure the placement is healthy. When a child is closely related to the adoptive parent (or an intrafamily adoption), the waiting period is at least six months. When the child is not related to the adoptive parents (or a private adoption), the period is twelve months. We are part of a group of legal professionals who are reexamining whether the period lengths are still appropriate but for now, this is the law.
