General Information & Guidelines

Catholic Charities Adoption Services

Building a family through adoption involves educational, social, emotional, spiritual, and legal processes.  Adoptive applicants need to be prepared to make a lasting commitment to the child who becomes a part of their family.  The agency and birth parents expect an adoptive couple to have good moral character; to be healthy, financially and emotionally secure; and to be able to provide the child with love, understanding, guidance, and companionship.

General eligibility requirements

• Applicants must have resided in the State of Minnesota for a period of one year before applying
• For agency domestic infant adoptions, applicants must be legally married for a period of at least three years at the time of application for adoption.  May not apply to international or private adoptions
• A period of twelve months should separate the arrival of child(ren) in the applicants’ home
• Applicants must notify the agency if a pregnancy or placement from another agency occurs during the adoption process
• Applicants are required to attend a 1-2 hour introductory session to familiarize themselves with adoption services
• Applicants must have sufficient income and assets to provide for any future adopted child
• Applicants must show that adequate, stable and safe living conditions will be provided for a future adopted child.  Ownership is not required

Catholic Charities is a licensed, nonprofit child placing agency.  In order to protect and assure children the maximum opportunities for security, growth and development, the agency has the right to deny adoption services to applicants where any of the following factors apply to them or members of their household:

• For applicants with a history of chemical abuse (e.g., DWI or other problems resulting from chemical use), Catholic Charities requires a 5 year period of continuous recovery and a favorable recommendation from a therapist or chemical dependency professional
• With regard to criminal history, Catholic Charities follows, at a minimum, the guidelines promulgated by the Minnesota Department of Human Services for foster parent licensing
• A conviction, admission, or substantial evidence of an act of assault, child battering, child abuse, child molestation or child neglect
• A conviction for any offense involving moral turpitude, at the discretion of the agency
• Physical or mental illness that affects your ability to parent a child
• Any evasion of the truth on the part of the applicants
• State, local, and federal background checks may be required

The above are to be considered minimum standards, and the agency has the authority to establish additional guidelines that adoptive applicants must meet in order to receive adoption services. 

Catholic Charities cannot guarantee that a child will be placed with a family or that a family will be recommended as an adoptive family by the agency or be selected for a placement.  Catholic Charities will follow legal and ethical guidelines in completing home studies for adoption.  Staff will make every reasonable effort to assist families to realize their dream of adopting a child.

• Please also see Description of Adoption Process
  

Adoption Services, 157 Roosevelt Rd, Ste 200, St Cloud MN 56301 | 320.650.1666 | Revised 070223