Adopting a Child in Oregon

Any person may petition the circuit court to adopt. One petitioner, the child, a parent, or another consenting person must have lived in Oregon continuously for six months before the petition, and venue lies in the county with which the child has the most significant connection (or where the licensed adoption agency is located). Written consent is required from the child's parents (or the surviving parent), or a guardian or next of kin if there is no living parent, and from the child if 14 or older. A parent's consent may be dispensed with after a hearing if, for example, the parent willfully deserted or neglected without just cause to provide proper care and maintenance for the year before filing, or has served at least three years of a prison term of three years or more and adoption is in the child's best interest. A current home study approved by the Department of Human Services or a licensed adoption agency is required, and the department files a placement report with the court.

Stepparent adoptions use the same petition. The other parent's consent is required unless the court dispenses with it, for example for willful desertion or neglect to provide care and maintenance for the year before filing (the court may disregard incidental visits, communications and contributions). The Department of Human Services may waive the home study on request when one of the child's genetic or adoptive parents keeps parental rights, and must waive the placement report in that situation (except when there is reason to know the child is an Indian child). A grandparent served with the petition may ask the court for post-adoption visitation within 30 days.