Domestic Infant Adoption
Are you looking for information on placing a child for adoption? Click here.
Catholic Charities has been licensed to place children in adoptive homes since 1943. Catholic Charities works with couples who are looking to adopt an infant and with birth parents looking to place their child for adoption. Most adoptions today are open, meaning that birth parents and adoptive parents can meet and develop a relationship with each other and the child.
Eligibility for Catholic Charities Domestic Infant Adoption Program:
- Live in Minnesota at least one year before applying
- Live within the Diocese of Winona-Rochester (Twenty southern-most counties of Minnesota)
- Be married a minimum of two years (In accordance with Catholic teaching, marriage between a cisgender man and woman)
- Experience infertility or secondary infertility, no longer pursuing fertility treatments
- Be 45 years of age or younger at the time of application
We serve people of all faiths!
Home Study Process (6-9 month process)
The Adoption Home Study is part assessment, part education and the opportunity to reflect on the type of parents you want to be.
During the home study, your adoption worker will gather information about your personal history, relationships, support systems, parenting style, religion and spiritual beliefs, finances, health, family strengths and needs, cultural awareness and diversity, and attitudes and beliefs regarding adoption. Education topics include History of Adoption, Adoption Triad, Openness, Core Issues of Adoption, Losses and Gains, Adoption vs Birth, Attachment and Bonding, Transracial Adoption, Legally Freeing a Child for Adoption, Legalization, Adoption Language, and more. The home study process will also help you develop a profile book, a profile for Catholic Charities website, and your own outreach plan.
The first step is a free no-obligation adoption informational meeting to learn about types of adoption, the process, and to get all your questions answered.
Domestic Adoption Fees
- Application: $500
- Home Study: $3,000
- Adoption Program Fee: $8,500
- Annual Update Fee: $850
- Adoption Placement Fee: $8,500
- Other fees may apply depending on services requested.
Estimated time frame for adoptive placement
The estimated likelihood of making an adoptive placement is to one to three years, but could be less or more. Home study approval does not guarantee a placement. We expect all families to do some outreach and networking, pursue open adoption, and to accept a child of either gender. There is a greater need for families who are open to accepting a child of any race and some medical concerns.
Catholic Charities has licensed social workers to complete adoption home studies in Mankato and Rochester, Minnesota. For more information, email adoption@ccsomn.org or call 507-287-2047.