There are laws concerning the transportation of children from one state to another for foster care or adoption. Approval for the placement must be given by the Interstate Compact Office in both states (the state of the child’s birth and the state of the adoptive parents’ residence). This process cannot be initiated until the child is born. Therefore, the adoptive parents should expect to remain in the state of the child’s birth while awaiting Compact approval. This normally takes less than one week but may take longer depending upon the states involved. Adoptive parents need to plan for this stay.

Both parents must be willing to travel to the state where the birthparent is residing for meetings with her/him prior to the birth of a child and for the birth and placement upon discharge from the hospital. Parents who live outside the state of the child’s birth will be required to comply with the Interstate Compact requirements regarding the placement as outlined above and may not leave the state with the child until approval has been issued by the Interstate Compact offices in both states.