Parents who adopt children with special needs may receive financial assistance to help meet children's needs. For more information on the adoption assistance program or about children under state guardianship who are waiting for adoption, contact a licensed adoption agency or a county social services agency . Also, see the Minnesota Adoption Resource Network' s list of Minnesota's Waiting Children . Children become free for adoption through specific legal procedures which are different in every state. In Minnesota, children are freed for adoption when their birth parents sign a voluntary consent to the adoption.
Birth parents have a short period of time to change their minds after signing consents.
Children may also become available for adoption through a voluntary or involuntary court procedure to end parental rights. Birth parents have a short period of time to appeal a court's order. Individuals interested in adopting children need special family preparation because adoption is a legal process with great psychological, emotional and cultural impact. Adopted children's understanding of the meaning of adoption becomes more complex as they grow to maturity. Adoptive parents need to understand and address their children's unfolding understanding of adoption.