Arkansas Adoption Forms: What You Need to File

Arkansas adoption paperwork trips up families at two distinct points: before the court hearing, when the petition bundle has to be assembled correctly, and after finalization, when most families assume the court has handled everything — and discover it hasn't. Here is a clear breakdown of the forms involved at each stage.

Before You File: The Home Study Document Package

The home study is not a single form — it's a compilation of documents your social worker assembles into a report. But you are responsible for gathering the underlying materials that the report draws from.

Documents required by Arkansas licensing standards:

• Certified birth certificates for each adoptive parent and all household members
• Marriage license (and certified copies of any divorce decrees if either parent was previously married)
• AR1000 state income tax returns — typically the most recent one to three years
• Employment verification — current pay stubs and an employer letter confirming ongoing employment
• Physician's statement for every household member, dated within six months of the home study. This applies to children in the household, not just adults
• FBI fingerprint clearance — initiated through your home study provider or independently via a Live Scan location
• Arkansas State Police criminal record — your agency or social worker will typically initiate this
• Arkansas Child Maltreatment Central Registry clearance
• Three to five character reference letters from non-relatives
• Autobiographical statements — written narratives from each adoptive parent covering childhood, marriage history (if applicable), parenting philosophy, and reasons for choosing adoption

If any household member has lived outside Arkansas in the past five years, add a maltreatment registry clearance from that state.

The Adoption Petition Package

The adoption petition itself is filed with the Probate Division of your county Circuit Court. Under ACA § 9-9-210, the petition must be a verified document (signed and notarized) and must include or attach:

1. Verified Petition for Adoption The core pleading, styled per ACA § 9-9-205(d). It states the child's date and place of birth, the child's new legal name, your marital status, your residency duration in Arkansas, and the name and address of any person whose consent is required.

2. Parental Consents Written consent from each biological parent whose rights have not been terminated, signed and acknowledged before a judge or notary public. If the biological parent is a minor, a court-appointed guardian ad litem must also sign. Consent signed before the child's birth is legally void in Arkansas.

3. Revocation Period Waiver (if applicable) If the birth parent signed a written waiver reducing the revocation period from 10 days to 5 days, that waiver must be attached. Without it, the 10-day period applies by default.

4. Arkansas Putative Father Registry Search Result A certified response from the Arkansas Department of Health showing the results of a search under the birth mother's name. To request this, mail form VR-118 with a $5 check to the State Registrar of Vital Records. Include the negative or positive result with the petition. If no search was conducted before filing, the court will stay the proceedings for 20 days.

5. Report of Petitioner's Expenditures A sworn affidavit itemizing every dollar paid in connection with the adoption — including medical costs for the birth mother, housing and living expenses, agency fees, and attorney fees. This is required under ACA § 9-9-211. Payments that aren't documented here can raise questions about illegal compensation, which constitutes a Class C felony in Arkansas.

6. Home Study Report The favorable written recommendation from your licensed home study provider. Must include the physical inspection of your home and the social worker's professional assessment.

7. Detailed Health and Genetic History of the Child A medical and genetic background summary required by DCFS or the placing agency. Identifying birth parent information should be excluded unless both parties have agreed to open records.

8. Adoption Information Sheet A form required by the DHS Office of Chief Counsel. Your attorney or home study provider will typically supply this.

9. Original Birth Certificate A certified copy of the child's existing birth record.

The Arkansas Report of Adoption Form

This is the form that most families don't know exists until after the finalization hearing. The court does not automatically file this on your behalf.

After the Final Decree of Adoption is signed, the circuit court clerk issues a "Report of Adoption" to the Arkansas Department of Health — State Registrar of Vital Records. However, you or your attorney must ensure this form is submitted promptly. The Department of Health then creates a new birth certificate listing the adoptive parents, and the original certificate is sealed.

To update the birth certificate, contact the Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records office:

• Submit the completed adoption report form
• Pay the applicable amendment and new certificate fees (check the current fee schedule at the Department of Health — fees change periodically)
• Processing typically takes 10 to 14 days

If you later need the original birth certificate unsealed — for example, your adopted child as an adult wants access — that requires a separate process under Act 519 of 2017. An adoptee aged 21 or older can request their adoption file directly from the Department of Health for a $100 fee.

DCFS-Specific Forms

Families adopting through DCFS will encounter additional state-specific forms:

• Adoption Assistance Agreement — negotiated and signed before finalization. Documents the monthly subsidy amount, Medicaid eligibility, and non-recurring expense reimbursement. Must be signed before the decree is entered; you cannot add subsidy retroactively.
• Adoption Home Study Update Forms — required annually if a child has not been placed within 12 months of your completed home study

Keeping Track

The volume of paperwork is one of the main reasons families hire attorneys — not because the forms are legally complex in isolation, but because getting them wrong or in the wrong order creates delays. A missing putative father registry result can stop a case for 20 days. A consent document signed before birth is void. An Adoption Assistance Agreement left unsigned until after finalization can't be added later.

The Arkansas Adoption Process Guide includes a sequenced document checklist organized by phase — home study, petition, hearing, and post-finalization — so nothing falls through at a critical moment.

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