Application requirements

Please contact Wyoming Children’s Society BEFORE submitting your application for adoption.

Please contact Wyoming Children’s Society wyomingcs@wyomingcs.org to obtain the application materials.

Applicants for the domestic infant program must meet the following criteria:

• At least 21 years of age, unless adopting internationally then a minimum age of 25
• Resident of Wyoming
• Successfully complete the adoptive home study process
• Have no criminal history or incidents of child or adult abuse or neglect
• Financially stable and able to meet the expenses of adoption and the needs of the adopted child without state or federal assistance

For domestic infant adoption, families must be open to adopting an infant of either gender.  

For the waiting child program, because children from the foster care system often have special medical, behavioral and/or emotional needs, it is generally recommended that families with children in the home who are under the age of 5 years may not be appropriate for the program.

For the international adoption program, adoptive parents must meet all the requirements of the international primary agency.  Keep in mind that specific age, sexual orientation and marital status requirements vary from country to country.  Your primary agency will advise you of your eligibility for specific country standards.

Wyoming Children’s Society does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, marital status or sexual orientation.

Getting Started

The application includes the following documents:

• Household information
• References
• Financial statements
• Autobiographies from the applicant(s)
• Information on others living in the home
• Physician’s medical report

The agency will contact the listed references, and will also request the following documentation:

• Criminal background check
• Child Abuse and Neglect Registry screening (or check)

Once we have received your application and supporting documentation, a social worker will contact you to begin the home study process. The home study process includes:

• A series of interviews with at least one meeting taking place in the family’s home, two joint interviews, and one individual interview with each applicant. The caseworker will also interview any other age-appropriate people living in the home.
• In-depth discussions of key adoption issues such as motivation to adopt, marriage and family history, child preference, and the adoption process.

After the home study interview has been completed, the social worker will compile all the information into a home study. This home study will be given to the family to review. After the family has reviewed it to ensure all information is correct, the home study will then be finalized and approved by the agency. Once the home study has been approved, the family is considered eligible to adopt.

Please refer to the Current Statement of Fees for more detailed information.

What Do Our Fees Cover?

Wyoming Children’s Society is a professional, fully accredited adoption agency, employing professional staff that possess the required educational credentials, skills, and experience. The costs of operating a professional organization and maintaining our accreditations are considerable, and when the expenses associated with the agency increase, it is often necessary for us to increase our fees. As a true non-profit, all fees charged to adoptive applicants accurately reflect what it costs the agency to provide services to birth parents and to adoptive applicants and to maintain and operate the agency as a whole. 

The fees you pay to Wyoming Children’s Society fund the following:

• Free services and support to birth parents
• Staff time in conducting the work of the agency (interviews, client services, travel, home study and post placement/post adoption  preparation, birth parent support, home study and post placement/post adoption services to adoptive families, and more)
• Staff time in consultation with other public and private agencies, and community entities
• Ongoing staff training as required by our accrediting and licensing authorities
• Agency administration
• Client file creation and maintenance
• Operational expenses of the agency (staff salaries, office supplies, internet, telephones, equipment, building maintenance, etc.)
• Maintenance of required accreditations and licensures

Medical Costs

Most insurance companies will cover the child’s medical expenses on the date the adoptive parents receive placement of the child. Federal laws, including the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 OBRA 93 (private employers) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 HIPPA (governmental employers), prohibit discrimination against adopted children. Health insurance coverage for adopted children is available to families covered by most group health plans at the time of placement, which is defined as the time when the adoptive family assumes financial responsibility for the child. Please note health insurance plans that are individual plans (not employer-sponsored) are not subject to federal regulation.

For domestic infant adoption, if a birthmother is not covered by private insurance or Medicaid, the adoptive parents are responsible for her medical expenses. Adoptive applicants can elect to decline being considered for placement if there are medical expenses involved.

Waiting for Placement

Wyoming Children’s Society works with birth parents in Wyoming who face unplanned pregnancies. If the birth parents decide adoption is the right decision, they will review family profiles and select a family to meet. The birth parents will review prospective adoptive families based on family size, religious affiliation, interests/hobbies, age and geographic location. As a result, it is nearly impossible to determine the length of time a family waits for placement. Because our program is birth parent driven, we are not able to guarantee placement.

The Adoption Tax Credit

Following the finalization of your adoption, you may be eligible for the Federal Adoption Tax Credit. Please contact your tax consultant or accountant for further information.

Helpful Links

Find more valuable information about infant domestic and waiting child adoption by clicking on the links below.

The Adopting website has information addressing adoption-related questions.

Adoptive Families has helpful resource for all adoptive families.

Adopt Us Kids is specially for waiting child adoption.