A number of states have statutes that allow ongoing contact between adopted children and their birth parents after finalization of an adoption. Under these statutes, sometimes referred to as cooperative adoption statutes, birth parents relinquish parental rights but maintain certain post-adoption contractual rights that may include the exchange of letters and photos, phone calls at specified times such as holidays or birthdays, and face-to-face contacts. Cooperative adoption may provide an opportunity for parents who may realize that they cannot raise their children but who view total relinquishment of their rights as an unacceptable abandonment. Some states have comprehensively addressed post-adoption contact in their statutes while others have touched on the issue in more limited ways.

The following provides information on the states that have statutorily addressed Post-Adoption contact. First, information on the states that have more comprehensively addressed the issue is presented. These states are:

California
Florida
Indiana
Minnesota
Nebraska
New Mexico
New York
Ohio
Oregon
Rhode Island
Washington

For a summary of the key provisions of these statutes click here.

Second, information on the states the have touched on post-adoption contact in more limited ways is presented. These states are:

Alabama
Alaska
Georgia
Maryland
Massachusetts
Missouri
Montana
South Dakota
Tennessee

For a summary of the provisions of the statutes in these states click here.

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POLICY AND PRACTICE

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