One of my favorite texts to send a client: “ICPC has been approved. You can now travel home!”

ICPC stands for the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. Essentially, it is an agreement amongst all of the states that before a child can cross state lines for the purposes of adoption, both the sending state and the receiving state have to sign off on the placement.

In order to comply with ICPC, there is a certain process that must be followed and both states must approve the placement before a child can leave his/her birth state. An ICPC packet of documentation is submitted to each state’s ICPC office and although there are some standard requirements, every state has its own specifics for what is needed in that packet. Typically your attorney and/or agency will handle the preparation and submission of the ICPC documents and communication with the two ICPC offices.

Once both states approve the ICPC submission, the family is cleared to travel home. The processing time varies by state, but in my experience, most states can review/approve within a few business days so I always recommend planning on a total of one week or 10 days to be safe. It is always a relief when it is approved and the family can finally bring baby home!