The world of domestic adoption has its own terms, phrases and, of course, acronyms. During your adoption journey, they’re important to know and understand. If you’re chosen by a birth mother who doesn’t live in your state, the acronym “ICPC” will become a crucial part of your adoption and remain in the front of your mind.
Are you wondering what ICPC stands for exactly? And how it will apply to your adoption? Today, Lifetime Adoption Agency will break this commonly-used domestic adoption acronym down for you!
“ICPC” stands for The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. ICPC oversees the transfer of a child from one state to another in an adoption situation. It was created to make sure that there is an agreement in adoptions where the child is born in a state other than the one where the adoptive parents live. Each US state has different adoption laws on adoptive family requirements, when a birth parent can sign their termination of parental rights (TPR), and how long the revocation period is. ICPC allows adoption professionals in each state to communicate with one another to confirm everything is done safely and legally.
To sum it up, the birth mother’s state and the adoptive family’s state need to communicate with each other. The birth mother’s state is tasked with the safety and well-being of the child and has to inform the other state that this child will soon become a resident. ICPC is done for the protection and welfare of the child, which can be challenging to remember when you’re anxious to go home.
In most cases, ICPC is basically a formality. Look at it as the last “to-do” before you can bring your baby home. While you wait for ICPC to clear, you’ll need to remain in the state in which your baby was born. However, depending on circumstances, one spouse may be allowed to go back home so they can continue working while the adoptive couple waits for ICPC to be approved. Some states complete the paperwork faster than others, so your adoption professional should be able to give you an estimate of how long you might be waiting.
If you’re adopting from another state, it’s important to have plans made ahead of time for who will take care of things at home. We recommend setting up someone to care for your pets, bring in your mail, and take care of any other responsibilities that have to be done while you’re gone. Explain the process to your employer, and reassure them that you’ll return as soon as possible.
While being away from your familiar surroundings with a newborn can be challenging, it can also be the perfect time to bond with your new baby as a newly-expanded family. If you’ve made sure to tie up all the loose ends before you leave, you can use this time to bond as a family before you go back home to your everyday routine.
Do you have questions about how domestic adoption works? Lifetime Adoption Agency would love to help you!
Just call Lifetime at 1-800-923-6784.
