Adoption Requirements in Massachusetts: What to Know

Adoption is an incredibly rewarding way to grow a family. It is a path taken with much consideration and compassion, and probably one of the most momentous decisions you will make in your lifetime. When you make the decision to adopt, you are making the beautiful choice to open your heart and home to a child, whom you will love endlessly. You are also taking steps to fulfill your dream of becoming a parent.

Of course, we realize that choosing adoption (especially for those who have experienced infertility) can also be overwhelming. As a prospective adoptive parent, you likely have a million questions surrounding the adoption process. One that may be most pressing, however, may be around adoption requirements. Who can adopt a baby? What do I need to have, or do, in order to grow my family through adoption?

If you are a Massachusetts resident, Adoptions With Love can help. We are a non-profit, private, domestic adoption agency that provides this very special service to hopeful parents across the Bay State. It is our mission to help you through the MA adoption process and ensure that it is a positive, joyous journey for your family. We work tirelessly to find the best possible home for each child, and to find that home right here in Massachusetts with you. To help you get started, we have outlined the fundamental adoption requirements in Massachusetts below.

Massachusetts’ Adoption Requirements

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires all prospective adoptive parents to complete a thorough application process, which includes a several-month-long home study, FBI background checks, as well as submitting any required documentation, such as health records.

In order to adopt, Massachusetts state law also requires the following. Private adoption agencies may also have their own set guidelines and requirements for prospective adoptive parents.

• You are an adult over 21 years of age.
• You either rent or own a home
• Your home has adequate privacy, safety, and space for all family members, including your soon-to-be child (children of the same gender may share a bedroom)
• You attend a training course that prepares you for adoption and parenthood
• You to provide personal letters of recommendation, in addition an adoption application
• You complete a home study before being approved to adopt

Adoptions With Love is very involved in the home study process, in which one of our MA-licensed adoption social workers will visit you in your home and conduct a series of interviews to get to know you, your family, and your hopes for the adoption. You can learn more about the adoption home study (and how to prepare) here.

While documentation may vary agency to agency, Massachusetts adoption requirements note that families should submit current health records as part of their home study (to ensure your mentally and physically fit to raise a baby), as well as current financial records (to ensure you are financially stable enough to raise a child). You do not need to be wealthy to adopt a baby in MA, but you do need to be able to meet your family’s basic needs.

An adult that is stable and healthy, that is financially, emotionally, and physically fit to raise a baby, and that can fully provide safety and security for their child, can adopt in Massachusetts. Same-gender and LGBT couples, single parents, and married couples all have an equal opportunity to adopt in MA, though requirements can vary by agency. Adoptions With Love welcomes all aspiring adoptive parents in Massachusetts to complete an application.

Upon submitting an adoption application, including all supporting documents, Adoptions With Love will contact you within two weeks. You will then be assigned a social worker from our staff, and we will schedule the first meeting of the home study process. You will also enroll in baby care training sessions to prepare for parenthood (if you are a first-time parent, per Massachusetts law) in addition to group sessions at Adoptions With Love. These serve as a great opportunity to meet other waiting parents and to learn more about the adoption process and all that adoption involves.

If and when you are ready to adopt in Massachusetts, the caring and knowledgeable staff at Adoptions With Love is here to help. We offer private consultations, free-of-charge, to go over the preliminary application process and Massachusetts adoption requirements. During this initial consultation, you will have the opportunity to ask us questions, learn about us as an agency, and decide whether you would like to move forward with adoption. We can help you decide if adoption is the right path for you and your family. We will help prepare you to embark on this beautiful journey of becoming a parent. Please contact us anytime to learn more about the adoption requirements in Massachusetts by calling 617-964-4357. You may also download our free guide, ‘The Massachusetts Adoption Process’ below.