Infant Adoption in New Hampshire: How to Adopt a Baby

Domestic infant adoption in New Hampshire is one of the most emotionally layered experiences a family can go through. The hope of a match, the vulnerability of the wait, the controlled chaos of the birth, and the legal proceedings that follow — each stage has its own demands and its own specific requirements.

If you are considering adopting a newborn or infant in New Hampshire, here is what the process actually looks like from start to finalization.

The Two Pathways for Infant Adoption

Private Agency Adoption

Working with a licensed NH adoption agency for infant placement means the agency manages the match. They counsel and screen birth mothers who are considering adoption, present your family profile, and facilitate the connection between you and a prospective birth parent. The agency also conducts your home study, manages post-placement supervision, and coordinates with the Probate Court for finalization.

Agency infant adoption in NH typically costs $20,000 to $45,000 in total. The timeline from a completed home study to placement ranges from a few months to two years, depending on how quickly a match is made. Some families wait longer.

Agencies currently licensed to place infants domestically in New Hampshire include Adoptive Families For Children (Concord), Waypoint, Bethany Christian Services (Candia), New Hope for Children (Dover), and others. See adoption agencies in New Hampshire for a fuller overview.

Independent (Attorney-Facilitated) Adoption

In an independent adoption, you and a birth mother have connected through your own network — personal connections, adoption consultants, social media outreach, or a profile website. You are not using an agency for matching, but you need:

1. An NH adoption attorney to manage the legal documentation and court filings
2. A licensed agency or DCYF to conduct the mandatory home study under RSA 170-B:18

Independent adoption can potentially reduce costs by eliminating the agency matching fee ($15,000 to $30,000 in some cases), but your attorney fees will be higher, and birth parent expenses can equal or exceed agency cases. Total costs typically run $15,000 to $45,000.

New Hampshire also allows "identified adoption" — where the birth mother and adoptive family have already found each other and agree to work with an agency solely for the home study and post-placement services, bypassing the matching function. This is legal under NH law and is a common model for families who have developed a connection with a birth mother through personal networks.

The Home Study: Start Before the Match

A common mistake in infant adoption: waiting until you have a match to start the home study. Do not do this.

The home study typically takes 60 to 120 days to complete. Your home study must be approved before placement can legally occur. And under RSA 170-B:18, for private adoptions, you must request the assessment at least 30 days before the child comes to your home.

Start the home study application as soon as you have decided to pursue adoption. The home study approval is what allows you to be considered by birth mothers, included in agency matching, and legally authorized to receive a placement. Without it, you are not legally ready.

The Hospital: What Happens at the Birth

Before the birth, your attorney or agency should help you develop a hospital plan in coordination with the birth mother. This typically covers:

• Who will be present at the birth
• Whether you will be in the hospital during or after delivery
• What name will be on the initial birth record
• How the transition of physical custody will be handled after discharge

The birth mother is in control of her hospital experience. You may be invited to be present, or she may prefer privacy during the birth and transition. Respecting her stated wishes is both ethically required and practically wise for the relationship.

The 72-Hour Consent Window

This is the most legally critical moment in infant adoption, and the one that most families are underprepared for emotionally.

Under RSA 170-B:8, the birth mother cannot legally execute a surrender of parental rights until at least 72 hours after delivery. This waiting period is statutory and non-negotiable.

Those 72 hours are among the most emotionally difficult of the adoption process. You may have the baby. The birth mother may have expressed consistent commitment to the adoption throughout the pregnancy. And you still must wait 72 hours for the legal paperwork that makes the adoption permanent.

During those 72 hours, the birth mother is legally entitled to change her mind. Some do. Nationally, birth mother changes of mind occur in a small percentage of cases, but they do happen, and they happen most often in the immediate post-birth period. This is not a risk that can be eliminated — it is a real feature of newborn adoption, and every family should understand it before they begin.

When the 72 hours have passed, the surrender is executed in writing and signed before a Probate Court judge. This is done in a formal court proceeding, not informally. The surrender must include acknowledgments about counseling and the absence of prohibited payments.

Once the Probate Court approves the surrender, it is final and irrevocable. The birth mother cannot withdraw it absent proof of fraud, coercion, or duress. NH's irrevocability standard is one of the strongest legal protections for adoptive families in infant adoption.

If the Baby Is Born in Another State

New Hampshire is a small state surrounded by other states. Many NH families end up matched with a birth mother in Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, or further away. When the child is born in another state, your adoption requires ICPC compliance.

ICPC (Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children) requires the receiving state (NH) to approve the placement before the child can legally enter the state with you. Standard ICPC processing takes two to six weeks. You will need to remain in the birth state during this period — plan financially and logistically for a two-week out-of-state stay.

See ICPC in New Hampshire adoption for a full explanation of the process.

Post-Placement: The Six-Month Supervision Period

After placement, NH law requires a six-month residency period before you can file the adoption petition. During this time, the supervising agency conducts post-placement visits at minimum once every two months, with at least two visits inside your home.

These visits are supportive, not adversarial. The social worker is documenting that the child is thriving and that you are adjusting well to parenthood. Use these visits — ask questions, share challenges. The agency wants the placement to succeed.

Typical Timeline: Match to New Birth Certificate

Total from approved home study to new birth certificate: typically 12 to 30 months.

Protecting Yourself from Adoption Fraud

New Hampshire is a small, relatively tight-knit state, but adoption fraud still occurs. The two most common patterns:

Emotional scammers: A person who presents as a pregnant birth mother, develops a relationship with an adoptive family, and then disappears (along with any money they have been given) when it becomes clear no baby exists.

Financial scammers: A person who requests large direct payments for "living expenses" or "medical costs" before any legal documentation is in place, then disappears.

Protections: work through a licensed attorney and agency, never send money directly to an individual you have not verified through legal channels, require that birth parent expenses be managed through your attorney and documented in the Affidavit of Expenses (DCYF Form 1807), and be very cautious about matches that emerge through social media without verifiable identity.

For a complete guide to infant adoption in New Hampshire — including the hospital plan, the 72-hour surrender process, ICPC procedures for out-of-state births, and the finalization hearing — the New Hampshire Adoption Process Guide walks through every stage. Get the guide at /us/new-hampshire/adoption.

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