Alabama - Adopt a Child

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Procedure

Apply In Person:

1. To Adopt a Child, the applicant has to approach the U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE — BUREAU of CONSULAR AFFAIRS link
2. An application form will be provided to the applicant by the concerned officer.
3. The applicant has to fill in all the necessary details in the application form. (Incomplete applications are not accepted)
4. Make sure that the applicant has attached all the necessary documents that are mentioned in the “Required Documents” section of this page.
5. The applicant has to attach the photocopies of the required documents along with the application form while submitting.
6. Submit all the documents with the completed form to the concerned officer.
7. In addition to qualifying to adopt under U.S. law, the applicant must also meet the home state's requirements for prospective adoptive parents.
8. The fee for this procedure has to be paid as per the authority’s request.
9. After receiving the application, the concerned authority will check the submitted application and document set. If all are in place, the application will be accepted.
10. An acknowledgment receipt will be provided. Please save it for future reference.
11. Then the application will be processed further. All the updates on the application status will be sent via SMS to the applicant’s mobile number.
12. Once the process gets completed, the applicant gets the call from the office regarding the application.
13. This entire process can be completed within 30 – 40 days or as per the timeline advised by the respective department authority.

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Required Documents

• Application form
• Identity proof (citizenship card, driving license, passport)
• Passport size photographs
• Social security card
• Any other documents (if required)

Office Locations & Contacts

U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE — BUREAU of CONSULAR AFFAIRS
Bureau of Consular Affairs
U.S. Department of State
600 19th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Email: [email protected]
Contact Details link
Link

Eligibility

Any person who are:

• The applicant must be a U.S citizen
• If the applicant is unmarried, the applicant must be at least 25 years old.
• If the applicant is married, you must jointly adopt the child
• The applicant must meet certain requirements that will determine the applicant suitability as a prospective adoptive parent, including criminal background checks, fingerprinting, and a home study.

Fees

• The fee for this procedure has to be paid as per the authority’s request.

Validity

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

• This entire process can be completed within 30 – 40 days or as per the timeline advised by the respective department authority.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver,
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.gIn the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

• Applicants must complete the application form before submitting it. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Applicants must provide genuine information while applying for this procedure.

Required Information

• Name
• Address
• Spouse name
• Contact number
• ZIP code
• City
• Email
• Fax
• Date
• Signature
• Fingerprint

Need for the Document

• An adopted child has been legally taken by another family to be taken care of as their own child.
• Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents.

Information which might help

• For more information link

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

Link

Others

Accredited adoption service providers must make reasonable efforts to obtain available information, including the following:

• The date that the Convention country or other child welfare authority assumed custody of the child and the child's condition at that time.
• History of any significant illnesses, hospitalizations, special needs, and changes in the child's condition since the child came into custody.
• Growth data, including prenatal and birth history.
• Specific information on the known health risks in the specific region or country where the child resides.
• If a medical examination of the child is arranged, the date of the examination, and the name, contact information, and credentials of the physician who examined the child.
• Information detailing all tests performed on the child.
• Current health information.
• Information about the child's birth family and prenatal history, cultural, racial, religious, ethnic, and linguistic background.
• Information about the child's past placements prior to adoption.
• Information about any birth siblings.
• Dates on any videotapes and photographs taken of the child.