Adoptive parent(s) must be 21 or older and at least 10 years older than the child. In some cases, the court may allow a relative who is less than 10 years older than the child to adopt him or her.

Adoptive parents may be someone you know, a relative, or a stranger. Depending on the kind of adoption you choose, you may have the right to know all of these things about the adoptive parents:

• Names
• Ages
• Home address
• Religion
• Race or ethnicity
• Criminal record
• How long they’ve been married
• How many times they’ve been married
• Jobs
• Whether they have children living with them already, and if so, how they support those children
• Whether their health is good enough to take part in normal daily activities and normal life
• Whether they have had a child removed from their care due to abuse or neglect.

If you have someone in mind that you would like to adopt your baby, you should consider an independent adoption. If you aren’t sure, an agency adoption may be the choice for you. Learn more about these options here.