Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services - Adoption

Adoption is the permanent, legal transfer of all parental rights and responsibilities from one family to another family. Adoptive parents have the same rights and responsibilities as parents whose children are born to them. It is the first step to a lifelong commitment of sharing your life with a child who is in need of a family that will keep him/her safe. These are children who could not be returned to their families. Some of these children are older, or are part of a sibling group that needs to be together, some have physical, emotional or medical issues which require loving attention. Over 81 percent of these children are African American. Persons must be 18 and over to adopt. You must have sufficient income to meet your own basic needs and be in good physical, emotional and mental health. You can be single, married, divorced or legally separated with documentation. There are no educational or religious requirements and home ownership is not necessary.

1. Pre-Service Training. 2. Application Submission. 3. The Home Study. 4. The Approval. 5. The Matching and Staffing Process. 6. Presentation. 7. Pre-Placement Visits. 8. Moving Day! 9. Finalization. 10. Post Finalization