Adoption in Michigan can be done through a child-placing agency. The Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) can help potential adoptive families find agencies that can facilitate an adoption.

Children who are in foster care and are available for adoption may receive financial assistance through a subsidy to help with the adoption expenses. These children are considered special needs and some of the disabilities are emotional, physical, and mental. Children who are of minority and are being placed for adoption as a sibling group are also considered special needs.

Families who want to adopt will need to have a Family Assessment completed. This assessment is also called a home study. Included in this assessment will be: reports of interviews with the family, criminal background checks, references, personal health report, income report, and other required documentation.

Families who have completed the home study and have been approved to adopt can then be matched with a child. Those who choose to do a Waiting Child Adoption through Michigan's foster care system will have their Family Assessment given to the child's social worker for evaluation. If the family is a good match for the child then the social worker will recommend that the child be placed in the family's home.

Some potential adoptive parents prefer to adopt an infant or younger child. Infant adoption can be done through agencies that work with birth parents that choose to place their child for adoption. Open adoptions are very popular now and they simply mean that the birth family and the adoptive family have some level of openness. This can include the exchange of names, pictures, letters or even ongoing visits. The level of openness depends on what the birth family and the adoptive family are comfortable with.

International adoption can also be a way to find a child who needs a home. These children must be considered orphans by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) for the adoption to be finalized.

Back to the main Michigan Adoption page.