[Duncan]

I've heard from agencies the interstate compact generally takes 5-10 business days but all the adoptive families I've talked to are telling me 4 weeks or more. My understanding is it legally has to be completed within 30 days. What happens if you are at 30 days and they haven't completed it? What happens if you go home before it is completed? Has anyone gotten theirs in under 3 weeks? Any suggestions on how to make this go smoothly?

Thank you!!!!!

[Lorraine123]

I am interested in reading replies to this. My daughter has been placed with me for an "extended visit" while the interstate compact paperwork is completed. The extended visit can last up to 30 days. What I understand is that if the paperwork isn't completed in the 30 days, she will have to go back. I am really stressed about this. She is 6, so returning to her home state would be detrimental. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to speed the process up?

[nycfsa]

3 or 4 weeks sounds like alot. Our son was born in AZ on a Monday, and we left to go home to NJ a week from that Thursday (10 days), and that includes the 72 hour waiting period. I think it was really only 4 business days for the interstate compact. You can't leave the state where the baby is born until the interstate compact paperwork is complete.

[tobeafamily]

The time you spend waiting for interstate compact will vary depending on which states you're working with, their caseloads, and how many people are available to process. Generally, it takes between 5-14 days. I've not heard of any cases (in 3 years) where it's taken longer than 30 days unless there wasn't a homestudy in place, receiving agency in place, or other complications.

Be prepared, though, to wait up to 3 weeks as that's generally the 'outlier' time. Also, if you have time before your child is born, be sure you have as many 'ducks' in a row as possible - i.e. homestudy is done and up to date, attorneys in place in both states and aware that this is happening, etc.

Keep in mind that ICPC doesn't START until relinquishment papers are signed so you must add in any extra time there. In our case it took a week for relinqishment papers to be signed due to attorney mishaps, then another 10 days for ICPC to clear, primarily because the caseworker in Virginia who was assigned was on vacation and there was a minor detail in the homestudy (availablility of a private room for DS) that had to be cleared up.

If the child leaves the sending state without ICPC clearing they will have to return and start the entire process over. Adoption in the home state generally cannot be finalized without proper ICPC transfer. Remember, you are legally only the guardians of this child until the aodption is finalized and that puts the state responsbile for knowing their wherabouts.

HTH.

Regina

[lucyjoy]

Lorraine,

If you get a good adoption lawyer who the judges like, they can often get verbal permission to allow a child to stay pending ICPC.
The state did that on one of my adoptions, and my lawyer did it on another private placement. A good judge will know that sending a 6 year old child back because of paper work is negligent.

Time varies greatly according to what States you're dealing with.

[Lorraine123]

Thanks LucyJoy. I just got word that the paperword arrived in my state, so we are just waiting for them to approve. We have 3 weeks left, so barring anything unforeseen, we should be fine!

[Linny]

Perhaps it should be pointed out too, that to leave a state with a child w/o the ICPC being done----AND---without the permission to do so (as in the 'extended visit post)....can bring about SERIOUS consequences for the adoptive couple AND the child.

A private attorney spoke with me this week questioning the comments of an out of state agency who insisted they could complete an adoption there. Her comments, (and I had heard this before)....were that if a couple were to leave w/o the permission granted verbally or ICPC, the DCFS could come into the home and take the infant from the adoptive couple.

Another attorney in this firm spoke of some cases they had dealt with, where the paperwork was not done (glitches or other)....and the adoptive couple had to leave and return back to the state to get their child.

I have yet to understand why ICPC is a necessary component of adoption; especially when some states are very quick to process, others are not. I have to wonder who devised this element that seems ridiculous if the child/infant has been adopted through a licensed agency......(sigh).

Sincerely,

Linny

[tobeafamily]

Linny - I think Ben Franklin got it mostly right when he said "The only things certain in life are death and taxes." What he should have said is 'death, taxes and PAPERWORK!". LOL

:-)

[Lorraine123]

I just wanted to clarify my earlier post about an "extended visit". We had written permission as temporary guardians from the court. I don't want anyone to think we took her out of state with out permission. I realize that could be very bad......

[Brookie]

Our ICPC went really quickly because our attorney was on the ball. Kennedy was born late Sunday night. The birthparents signed relinquisments on Thursday morning. At about 4pm on Thursday, the paperwork was overnighted to the ICPC offices in both states (sending & receiving). I had verbal clearance to leave the state on Friday just before 5pm.
Had the attorney not sent duplicates to the receiving state's ICPC office, there would be no way to get verbal clearance the very same day that the sending state received the package. Both states verbally approved the ICPC and called each other to confirm. Then, I took my little girl home!!!

[faith_amom]

Mine was 18 days -- GA & NC. It depends upon the states involved. GA is really fast, and NC is really slooooooooow.

- Faith

[Katiebear7]

Our ICPC was FedEx from a West Coast state to Virginia (approved within 3 days) then sent to our City where it was misplaced for weeks. After several weeks of excuses, I visited the mayor concerning his incompetent employee and gave him suggestions on how to do this more effectively. Miracleously, the ICPC packet was relocated and Colorado received it less than 14 hours later.

The only problem with this was the "incompetent" social worker who was brand new was extremely upset with me for a long time especially when she was assigned to work with an experienced social worker.

[teacher091768]

We have been waiting almost 3 weeks for TX to get our ICPC through to our homestate of GA. UGH! It is so hard to wait. Has anyone dealt with TX before? know an average time for the ICPC to go through? Thanks for any info.

[Katiebear7]

The ICPC takes from 60 - 90 days to travel. It starts at the sending city
level (then approval) to sending state (obtain approval), then the receiving
state (approval) down to your receiving city (approval). Each city level
takes the longest. The state levels are quicker.

While waiting check each states subsidy levels, status of
increases/decreases and benefits. When we were going through this (4 years
ago) the sending state had better benefits but now our state has better
benefits (too late to change). Colorado Juvenile Judge allowed us to
finalize the adoption in Virginia. This was a lot quicker and we didn't
have to travel to Colorado for a visit with the Judge. While we were
waiting for the adoption process to begin, the Virginia Judge allowed us to
change their names for school.

The whole process drove us crazy too. Hope this helps.
Katie