Adoption
Adoption & Military Life
Your heart is open to having a child in your lives or adding to your family. You’ve talked about it and agreed that adoption is the route you want to take. Arm yourself with information before you even call an adoption agency. There is a lot to learn about the adoption process. Read up on the process first by visiting the Child Welfare Information Gateway. This site, run by the Department of Health and Human Services, provides non-biased information about the process, different types of adoption, different agencies, and a glossary of terms.
Search out other military families in your community who have adopted. Ask lots of questions:
- Should we try a domestic or foreign adoption?
- What agency or law firm did you use? Who should we avoid?
- What did it cost?
- What would you have done differently or smarter?
Your installation family center might know about an adoption support group on your installation or in the community outside the gate. You’ll be surprised once you start asking how many families have adopted. While you are at the center, ask where new parent support classes are provided. You may be able to use these classes as part of your training once you are in the process. Also check with the chaplain’s office, a religious center, or the legal assistance office to see if they have a list of local resources for adoption.
Military Adoption Benefits for Active Duty Families Include:
Up to $2,000 reimbursement for adoption expenses
Up to 12 weeks of adoption leave to bond with your new child
Health care benefits before the adoption is final
Adoption Resources For Military Families
Reimbursement
Military service members who adopt a child under 18 years of age, including step-children, may be reimbursed for qualified adoption expenses up to $2,000 per adoptive child (up to a total of $5,000 if more than one child is adopted) per calendar year. In the case of a dual military couple, only one member may claim expenses for each adopted child.
Expenses incurred through the adoption of a service member’s children by a non-service connected step-parent do not qualify for reimbursement.
Veterans with service-connected infertility are also eligible to receive reimbursement of adoption expenses. The reimbursement rates and covered expenses are the same as those offered to active duty families. The application for reimbursement must be submitted no later than two years after the adoption is finalized. For more information, visit the VA’s website.
Leave
There are three categories of parental leave for service members: convalescent maternity leave, for service members who give birth; primary caregiver leave; and secondary caregiver leave. When adopting a child, service members can designate one parent as the primary caregiver, who is authorized up to six weeks of non-chargeable leave. The Army and the Air Force authorize 21 days of non-chargeable leave for secondary caregivers; the Navy and Marine Corps allow 14 days. Primary and secondary caregiver leave may be taken at any time within one year of the child’s adoption.
As with any leave, this is granted at the discretion of the commander. Only service members who are eligible for reimbursement of adoption expenses are eligible for this leave.
Health Care
Children under the age of 18 placed in the home of a service member by a placement agency for adoption are considered dependents. With a court order for the placement, an adopted child may be eligible for military health benefits. Required documentation for IDs can be found here.
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