Art. 1115 Authority generally; preplacement approval

If you want to give up a child for adoption, you can hand the child over (surrender) to any person or agency that is legally allowed to adopt. This means the surrender does not have to go to a stranger picked by the state. It can go directly to someone who plans to adopt the child, as long as that person meets the legal requirements.

Before this kind of private adoption can happen, the people who want to adopt must first get approved through a process called preplacement approval. This is basically a background check and home study that confirms they are fit to adopt a child.

The adopting parents also need proof of this approval before the surrender can be finalized. This proof can be either a certification saying they are approved for adoption, or a court order approving the placement. This paperwork has to be current, meaning it was completed or updated within the last 12 months. The attorney handling the adoption must file this proof along with the surrender papers.