New Jersey

Who may adopt?
Any person who is at least 18 years of age and 10 years older than adoptee may adopt.
Married persons must adopt jointly.

Consent for adoption to be executed?
Consent may be executed only after 72 hours after the child's birth. An alleged father may execute a disclaimer of parental interest at any time, including before the child's birth.

Revocation of consent?
If executed according to provisions, surrender to an agency is valid, binding, and irrevocable, and constitutes a termination of parental rights.

Who may place a child for adoption?
The parent or guardian of the child.
An approved agency.
An intermediary, if the adoptive parent has a home study through an approved agency

Advertising?
This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.

Facilitators?
An ''intermediary'' is any person or entity, which is not an approved agency, that acts for or between any birth parent and any prospective adoptive parent, on behalf of either in connection with the placement of a child for adoption.
An intermediary shall not receive money or other valuable consideration in connection with such placement. When placement is through an intermediary:

The person with whom the child is placed shall have been approved for placement by an approved agency home study.
The birth parent shall have been offered counseling.
Written notice shall be given to the birth parent.
A decision by the birth parent not to place the child cannot be conditioned upon reimbursement of expenses paid by the adoptive parent.

Putative Father's Registry?
No. The putative father may file written objections within 20 days of receipt of notice of adoption proceedings in the case of a resident, or within 35 days if a nonresident. The putative father is entitled to notice if within 120 days of the child's birth, or prior to the date of a preliminary hearing (whichever occurs first), he has acknowledged paternity by amending the birth certificate or filing a paternity action in court.

Expenses?
Birth parent –
Medical, hospital, counseling, and other expenses connected with the birth.
Reasonable living expenses.
Attorney fees and legal costs.
Religious, psychological, or vocational counseling during the pregnancy.
Payments for expenses cannot extend beyond 4 weeks after the termination of the pregnancy, by birth or otherwise.

Department/Agency –
In a non-agency adoption, all expenses and fees for the investigation and any counseling provided shall be the responsibility of the adopting parent.
The costs of all proceedings shall be borne by the petitioner.

Information provided in part by the Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter

Credits: Sandra Hanks Benoiton