Adoption Licensing in Illinois
Regardless of your reasons for wanting to adopt a child, there are requirements you must meet before you are able to do so. These exist to protect the safety of the child or children, and to help find parents who will look out for the child's best interests. The Adoption Information Center for Illinois provides a general list of adoption qualifications, but your best bet is to hire an adoption attorney. Your attorney will know how to help you prepare for the legal process of adoption.
Qualifications for licensing of adoptive parents:
- You may be single, married, divorced, or separated and living away from your spouse for more than 12 months.
- You may or may not have any other children, adopted or biological.
- You must be at least 21 years old.
- You must be capable of financially managing an addition to your family, although there are no specific income requirements for adoptive families. (Financial assistance is also available to families of adoptive children older than one year old or children that have special needs of any age).
- You must have no criminal history.
- You must be willing to commit to a lifelong relationship with your adoptive child.
- You must be flexible in adjusting to new situations that may affect your life.
- You must be accepting of the child and the child’s past.
- You must be able to show affection to children of abuse and neglect.
- You must be willing to use community support such as schools and medical and mental health and recreational resources to assist the child in every way possible.
General requirements for licensing a home for adoption:
- Your home must be clean, well ventilated, properly heated and lighted, and have no fire hazards.
- Your home must have access to a clean and safe water supply.
- Your home must provide protections from injury and poison to a child.
- Your home must have room for a new child.
- Your home must have a telephone in operation and easy access to a working telephone.
If you are considering adopting a child, contact a family law attorney for assistance. Douglas B. Warlick in Kane County, Ill. can help you qualify for the addition of a child into your family today.
