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Adoption and Guardianship

Make a lifelong commitment to a child

In Oregon, we believe every child deserves a safe and loving home. The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) works with parents, relatives, resource families and adoptive families to find that home for each child in our care. In some cases, a child’s best chance to thrive is with an adoptive family.

Families interested in adopting a child from foster care can find more information on this page.

Frequently asked questionsResources

Our role in Oregon adoptions

The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) aims to keep children with their parents whenever possible. 

When adoption is the best option for a child, ODHS oversees the adoption process for children adopted from foster care. ODHS runs programs to help with the costs of adoption and guardianship and supports people in connecting with their birth families. We work with certain approved adoption agencies to complete placement reports for private and independent adoptions. We review all private and independent adoption petitions filed in Oregon courts to make sure they follow the rules set by the state.

Resources

 Help with expenses

There are programs that can help families pay for their child's medical care, services and supports, or legal fees related to adoption or guardianship.

 Non-departmental adoptions

ODHS does not oversee adoptions outside Oregon foster care. These are called non-departmental adoptions. They include re-adoption, independent adoption (stepchildren, relative adoptions, etc.) private agency adoption and out-of-state public agency adoption. Learn about non-departmental adoptions in Oregon.

 Adoption search

The Adoption Search and Registry program may be able to help you find your birth family or a person adopted in Oregon.

 Websites

​Boys and Girls Aid​
Committed to ensuring every child grows up with a family of their own.​

Northwest Adoption Exchange (NWAE)​
Stories and photos of northwest children waiting for adoption.

​Oregon Foster Parent Association
Provides support, advocacy and training for foster, adoptive and relative parents.​

Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center (ORPARC)​
Serves families who adopt children in the custody of the state.​

Northwest Adoptive Families Association​
​Provides support and education to adoptive families.​

AdoptUSKids​​​​
National foster care adoption information.

International Adoption
Information from the U.S. State Department.

Families Rising
One of t​he most comprehensive resources on adoption.​

Frequently asked questions

​There are three types of adoptions. Please note that ODHS only facilitates adoptions for children in foster care.

  • Adoptions of children in foster care happen when a child in the foster care system cannot safely return home to their parents. ODHS considers relatives or other people close to the child for adoption first. If no home is found, the child can be adopted by a family with an approved adoption home study.
  • Private adoptions are done through licensed private adoption agencies.
  • Independent adoptions are for children that are not in the foster care system. Many families that want to adopt their stepchildren, relatives, friends or neighbors use this process.

You can learn more in the 10-minute Intro to Adoptions course​.

Learn more about priv​ate and independent (non-departmental) adoptions.

Many different kinds of families adopt. The most important thing is to be ready to make a commitment to love and care for a child.

  • You can be single, married or have a domestic partner.
  • You can live in a house or apartment, but must have a room for the child.
  • You can work inside or outside the home.
  • You must be at least 21 years of age or older.
  • You must have financial resources to support your family.
  • You must be able to physically care for the​ child.
  • You must pass a child abuse and criminal background check.
  • All people are considered regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion or sexual orientation​.

​Adoptive parents make a lifelong promise to provide a safe and loving home. Families who adopt children from foster care must be able to:

  • Accept their child's sense of loss ​and need to heal.
  • Share their child's joy and build memories as a family.
  • Work with social workers, medical or treatment providers, teachers and community partners.​
  • Keep their child connected to their birth family and other important relationships.
  • Support the child’s whole identity. This includes their racial and cultural diversity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.

Like all of us, children needing adoptive homes have their own unique identities and needs. Children in foster care have experienced trauma. Abuse, neglect, and family separation are especially hard on children. They may need extra support with physical, emotional and behavioral challenges that can come from trauma.

Many children who need an adoptive ​home are:

  • Over the age of 5
  • Part of a sibling group that needs to live together
  • Part of a racial, ethnic, or cultural minority
  • In need of support for a physical, mental, developmental or emotional disability​

Yes, you can adopt a child who is your ​family member.

​Yes, you can adopt an adult. ODHS is not involved in adult adoptions. An attorney can give you more information on how to complete an adult adoption.​

You can find an attorney through the Oregon State Bar Association.

​There is no set timeline for adopting a child who is in foster care. This process looks different for each child depending on their needs. Training, family assessment (called a home study), criminal history check and many other factors all play a part in how long the process might take.​​

​Yes, there is ongoing support for families who adopt children through foster care. This support includes financial and medical resources. More information can be found through the ​ Adoption Assistance Program.

Adoptive parents have permanent legal rights and responsibilities. This means they are responsible for children who are adopted as if they​ were their own biological children. The ODHS child welfare case is closed once an adoption is finalized.

​Thank you for your interest in providing a safe and loving home for an Oregon child. To learn more about the adoption process, review our ​Step-by-Step Adoption Guide. We encourage you to contact your local ODHS Resource Family Retention and Recruitment Champion or a Special Needs Adoption Coalition (SNAC) agency​.​