Adoption Options for Military Families

Between armed forces regulations and frequent travel, military families lead a different lifestyle than many Americans. When these families decide to adopt a child, they have different options and benefits available, too.

When trying to adopt, military families face some special challenges. The constant moves that are a fact of military life can conflict with state adoption rules. But all this means is that families serving in the armed forces need to be aware of their options. Military life doesn’t have to be a deterrent to parenthood.

Military families considering adoption have probably heard that adoption agency rules on residency requirements and home ownership may create obstacles. Fortunately, a few agencies realize the impact these rules have on military families, and are making changes to accommodate them.

With support from a federal grant, Welcome House, an adoption agency based in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, sponsors information nights on military bases in the Delaware Valley. The agency has instituted a special six-week home-study program that takes place on the military base. Other innovative federally supported projects have been started by agencies in Virginia, Arizona, Alaska, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C.

Even living overseas is not a barrier to U.S. adoption. Families stationed on military bases abroad can adopt children from the United States through the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children, because U.S. military bases are considered American soil. The Interstate Compact is completed between the state where the child resides and an agency in the state of legal residency for the prospective parents. Base social workers or clergy can complete the required home study.

In general, military adoptions range in price from $0 for a foster child waiting for adoption, to $30,000 for an independent adoption. Military families are entitled to adoption benefits of up to $2,000 a year per child, or $5,000 per family for reasonable and necessary expenses. A specific list of eligible expenses can be found at www.adoptions.com/aecmilitary.cfm; the website also includes lists of adoption professionals experienced in military adoption, military personnel with knowledge of adoption issues, and agencies able to place children with U.S. citizens living abroad.

A version of this article originally appeared in the Spring 2006 issue of Conceive Magazine.

Related Topics: Adoption

Reader Faves

Are you an impatient woman?

If so, Dr. Jean Twenge's brand-new book is for you. Dr. Twenge has written "The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant," and shares some of her best advice in the first of our two-part interview with her. (Check back on April 23 for part two!)
How to Save Money on Fertility Drugs

The cost of fertility medications can force many couples to question whether they can continue infertility treatment. But there are ways to save, and...
Coping With The Feelings of Miscarriage

A noted poet, professor, and essay writer describes the loss of her first pregnancy. Now, years later, this mother of two happy, healthy children...
The Conceive Conversation: Dr. Randine Lewis

As author of The Infertility Cure and The Way of the Fertile Soul, Randine Lewis, Ph.D., L.Ac., has been a pioneer in introducing eastern medicine to western couples to help them become parents.

Quick Poll

Displaying 1 - 5 of 15 stories

Pregnancy Envy

You’ve only been trying for a few months, but you’re already starting to get annoyed rather than excited when you see a pregnant woman. Or you’ve been trying a lot longer. . . and you can’t even bear to look. Here’s how to get over it until it’s your turn.
What to Expect From Your First Visit to a Fertility Clinic

Eileen Garvin of Susanville, California, became a client of a fertility clinic the way most women do—she was referred there by her ob/gyn.
Negotiating Time Off for Fertility Treatments and Adoption

Everyone knows about maternity leave, but sometimes women need to take time off before a baby arrives. If you’re having fertility treatments or trying to adopt, here’s what you should know to get the time off you need. Whether—and when—to tell your boss that you’re undergoing fertility treatments or arranging an adoption depends a lot on your relationship with your supervisor. While most workplace experts caution against revealing too much personal information, how do you explain being late for work because of blood tests and ultrasounds, and then needing to get home for hormone injections? Or what if you must travel abroad to bring home a baby, and then want three months to bond with your adopted child?
How to Choose a Fertility Center

In an effort to attract patients and compete against the more-than 400 fertility centers providing IVF nationwide, fertility clinics today routinely...
IVF 101: In Vitro Fertilization Explained

As kids, we all learned about the birds and the bees. But we probably didn’t learn enough about fertility to know how babies can be conceived when nature doesn’t work perfectly.
Generous Donations: Egg Donors and Surrogates

When a couple is having trouble conceiving or carrying a pregnancy, sometimes a “third party” is enlisted to help. These women—egg donors and surrogates—are giving one of the greatest gifts of all. Find out why they do it.
The 7 Most Common Fertility Drugs

By now you’ve probably heard of Clomid, the most commonly-used fertility drug in the United States. But do you really know how it works and what the possible side effects can be? If fertility drugs are your next step in the attempt to get pregnant, then here is a quick rundown of the seven medications your doctor is most likely to prescribe.
Infertility: Dealing With the Diagnosis

No one wants to hear a doctor utter the dreaded word “infertility.” But couples can use the diagnosis as an opportunity to learn the skills they...