Adopting a Child in Washington

Any legally competent person 18 or older may adopt; a married petitioner's spouse must join the petition. Consent is required from the adoptee if 14 or older, the parents and any alleged father of a minor, and any agency or the Department to which the child was relinquished. A parent's rights may be terminated on clear, cogent and convincing evidence that termination is in the child's best interest and the parent has failed to perform parental duties with a substantial lack of regard for parental obligations and is withholding consent contrary to the child's best interest. A child generally may not be placed with prospective adoptive parents until a preplacement report (a study of the home, family life, health and resources) has been filed with the court, and the court orders a post-placement report when the petition is filed.

A stepparent files the same adoption petition. Unless the court orders otherwise, the preplacement report is not required when the petitioner is adopting the child of the petitioner's spouse; a post-placement report is still ordered. The other parent's consent is required unless parental rights are terminated (for example for failure to perform parental duties while withholding consent contrary to the child's best interest) or consent is dispensed with on limited statutory grounds.