What Is The Interstate Compact (ICPC) And How Long Does It Take To Pass Through The Interstate?
ICPC stands for the Interstate Compact for the Protection of Children. States have adopted this procedure so that a child does not cross state lines until an administrator in each state (sending and receiving states) has reviewed all the paperwork to make sure the adoption process was handled correctly. The ICPC “packet” is usually comprised of a copy of the birthparents’ surrenders or the court’s termination order, a birth record for the child, a counseling and medical summary for the birthparents, the adoptive family’s homestudy and other paperwork which documents how various parts of the process were handled. The most important thing for adoptive families to know is that you need to stay in the birthmother’s state until you receive clearance that both states have “okayed the compact.” If one parent needs to return home to go to work or care for another child, this is fine so long as one parent stays in the birthmother’s state with the child. If a prospective adoptive parent leaves t
