Interstate Adoptions

Placement preliminary to an adoption (independent, private, or public adoptions) also requires compliance with the ICPC.

Adoptions Regional Offices

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Adoption Services Branch (ASB) facilitates adoption of children who need permanent homes by providing direct Agency and Independent adoption services through six regional offices located throughout the State.

Public agency interstate adoptions are processed by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and county adoption agencies.

Private agency adoptions are processed by California full-service licensed adoption agencies. For further information and a listing of agencies please see Directory of Public and Licensed California Adoption Agencies

Interstate Independent Adoptions

• Alameda, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties process these through their own county offices. For further information please see:
  • For Alameda County, please see the Alameda County Legal Guardianship & Adoption web page.
  • For Los Angeles County please see the LA County Independent Adoption web page.
  • For San Diego County please see the SD County Kids Support web page and the SD County Independent Adoptions Forms and Process PDF.
• For all other counties, interstate independent adoptions are processed through the CDSS Adoptions Regional Offices. For a listing of these offices see  Adoption Regional Offices .

For detailed information regarding adoptions including fact sheets, assistance, and FAQ’s please see the Adoption Resources web page.

For further adoption information, please visit the CDSS web page at California Dept. of Social Services Adoptions Services Home Page.

For questions about adoptions financial assistance email aap@dss.ca.gov.