You can adopt a child in the United States as a single person, an unmarried couple, a married couple, or an LGBTQ+ family — homeownership is not required and you do not need to be a stay-at-home parent. According to the latest National Council For Adoption AFCARS 2025 update, there were 328,947 children in foster care at the end of FY 2024, and 70,418 with a permanency plan of adoption. The process is structured but accessible, and most foster care adoptions cost little to nothing.
Many prospective parents hesitate because they don’t know enough about the steps to adopt a child or what agencies are looking for. This guide walks you through the basic stages, eligibility, costs and tax credits in 2026 so you can decide whether to adopt a child from foster care.
Who can adopt a child in the US in 2026?
Eligibility rules vary by state, but the federal framework is broad. Same-sex couples can legally adopt in all 50 states, and single adults are welcome in most jurisdictions. Adoption agencies focus on the family’s stability, not its shape.
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You don’t need to be a homeowner, you don’t need a high income, and you don’t need to be married. What agencies look for are well-rounded adults who are stable, dependable and mature — people who can give a child security, love and affection.
If you’re exploring family-building options beyond adoption, our guide on 5 proven paths to parenthood for gay and lesbian people covers surrogacy, donor insemination and co-parenting legal rights.
Basic eligibility requirements
- Age: Most states require you to be at least 21 years old; some, like Idaho, require 25 or 15 years older than the child.
- Income: Sufficient to meet your household expenses — you do not have to be wealthy.
- Background: Federal, state and tribal criminal background checks plus fingerprinting for every adult in the home.
- Health: A physical exam within the past 12 months and a TB test for all household members.
- Marital status: Single, married, partnered or co-parenting — all accepted in most states.
How to adopt a child from US foster care: 9 steps
Whether you go through a public agency or a private agency, the process to adopt a child follows a similar nine-step path. On average it takes 6 to 12 months from application to license, and another few months to a couple of years to placement and finalization.
1. Contact an adoption agency
Most states have multiple public and private agencies. Public agencies handle children already in state custody and usually charge no fee. The Child Welfare Information Gateway, a service of the Children’s Bureau, maintains a National Foster Care and Adoption Directory you can search by state.
2. Attend an orientation meeting
Before applying, attend an orientation. Bring a list of questions. Listen carefully to what realistic foster-to-adopt parenting involves: many children have experienced trauma, neglect or abuse.
3. Apply to adopt a child
The application paperwork is detailed and takes time. Your assigned caseworker will guide you. Required documents typically include letters of reference, federal and state criminal record checks, proof of meeting your state’s minimum age, verification of income, and consent to a Child Abuse and Neglect clearance under the Adam Walsh Act of 2006.
4. Attend pre-service training
Pre-adoption training, often called pre-service training, helps you understand trauma-informed parenting. Programs such as TIPS-MAPP (Trauma Informed Partnering for Safety and Permanence) or the National Training and Development Curriculum (NTDC) typically run 4 to 10 sessions, 30 hours minimum. Both adults must attend if applying as a couple.
5. Complete the home study
The home study is the heart of the process. A licensed social worker visits your home several times to assess your routine, family life, perceptions of adoption, family background and finances. The full study takes 3 to 6 months. The goal is to rule families in, not out.
6. Get approved to adopt
Once paperwork and the home study are reviewed, the agency makes its decision and notifies you quickly. Approval is the green light to start matching.
7. Get matched with a child
You can search yourself through state photolistings and the national AdoptUSKids database, and your caseworker will also search on your behalf. Today, more than 117,000 children and teens in foster care are waiting for a permanent family.
8. Receive an adoptive placement
When matched, you receive detailed information about the child and meet them. Your caseworker supports the integration into your family.
9. Legalize the adoption
The caseworker visits roughly monthly during the supervision period. Most states require a 6-month minimum supervision before finalization. Once the court approves, you legally adopt a child and full parental rights become yours.
How much does it cost to adopt a child from foster care in 2026?
Cost is the single biggest reason families overlook foster care adoption. The numbers tell a different story.
| Type of adoption | Typical cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Foster care adoption (public agency) | $0 to $300, often reimbursed |
| Domestic private adoption | $30,000 to $60,000 |
| International adoption | $30,000 to $70,000 |
| Surrogacy (for comparison) | $100,000 to $200,000 |
If you adopt a child through public foster care, expect minor out-of-pocket costs for fingerprinting, medical exams, court filing and CPR classes. Most fees are reimbursable after finalization through state nonrecurring adoption expenses programs.
The 2026 federal Adoption Tax Credit: up to $17,280 per child
The federal Adoption Tax Credit is the most significant financial resource for adoptive families. Under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill signed July 4, 2025, the credit was enhanced and made partially refundable. According to the IRS Adoption Credit official page, the maximum credit for 2025 returns is $17,280 per qualifying child, with up to $5,000 refundable. The 2026 maximum rises to $17,670 with $5,120 refundable.
For special needs adoptions from foster care — which apply to 80 to 90% of foster care adoptions where the child receives adoption assistance — you can claim the full credit even if you had no qualified adoption expenses. The phase-out begins at a modified adjusted gross income of $259,190 in 2025.
Most children adopted from foster care also qualify for monthly adoption assistance subsidies and Medicaid coverage through state Title IV-E programs.
Profile of children waiting to adopt a child from foster care
Knowing who is actually in foster care helps set realistic expectations. Per AFCARS FY 2024 data on the 70,418 children awaiting adoption:
- 3% were less than one year old
- 38% were aged 1 to 5
- 26% were aged 6 to 10
- 29% were aged 11 to 16
- 3% were 17, and 1% were 18 to 24
Sibling groups, older children and children of color remain the most likely to wait the longest. Of all children who exited foster care in FY 2024, only 27% exited through adoption while 45% reunified with their birth families and 11% entered guardianship.
Single, LGBTQ+ or co-parenting: alternative paths to family
If foster care adoption isn’t the right fit, other roads to parenthood exist. Single adults and same-sex couples increasingly turn to co-parent matching or known sperm donation as more affordable alternatives. Our community at CoParents.com has connected more than 150,000 members since 2008. Lesbian couples in particular often combine foster care adoption with other lesbian couple baby options like reciprocal IVF or known donor insemination.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to adopt a child from foster care?
From orientation to finalization, the average is 12 to 24 months. Licensing takes 6 to 12 months, matching is variable, and the post-placement supervision period is at least 6 months in most states.
Can a single person adopt a child in the US?
Yes. Single adults — straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender — can adopt a child in every US state through public foster care. Some private agencies still apply restrictive policies, but federal funding rules and the Every Child Deserves a Family Act bar discrimination by federally funded agencies.
What disqualifies you from adopting through foster care?
Felony convictions for child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault or homicide are automatic disqualifiers under the Adam Walsh Act. Other criminal history is reviewed case by case. Serious health conditions affecting life expectancy may also be a barrier, but conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes under control usually do not prevent approval.
Do you have to foster before you can adopt a child?
Not always, but a growing number of states use a dual licensing process where families are approved to both foster and adopt. This streamlines placement, since most children adopted from foster care are adopted by their foster parents.
Can I adopt a child from another state?
Yes. Interstate adoptions are governed by the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Since 2013, the National Electronic Interstate Compact Enterprise (NEICE) has shortened processing times.
Adoption from foster care is not the only path to parenthood. If you are single, in a same-sex relationship or simply ready to start a family on your own terms, co-parenting and known sperm donation are powerful alternatives. Create your free CoParents.com profile today and connect with thousands of people across the US who are looking for the right co-parent or donor to grow their family.