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Puerto Rico foster care and adoption guidelines

If you feel that you have enough love to share with a child in Puerto Rico, do not hesitate to begin the adoption process and make your dream come true. Your child is waiting to share the blessings life can offer.

Things you should know

State contact information

Puerto Rico Family Department
787-625-4900, ext. 1716
adopcionfamilia@familia.pr.gov
www.familia.pr.gov

Mailing address (Dirección postal):

Administración de Familias y Niños (ADFAN)
P.O. Box 194090, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00919-4090

Foster care and adoption licensing requirements

Prospective adoptive parents in Puerto Rico can be single, married, or in a domestic partnership living continuously for at least two years. Prospective adoptive parents can be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents of the U.S.

The adopter shall meet the following requirements as of the date the petition of adoption has been filed:

  • Be of legal age (21), except in the case in which two married persons or in a domestic partnership adopt jointly, in which case it shall be sufficient for one of them to be of legal age, allowing for the other adopter to be a minor, but never being less than age 18
  • Be at least 14 years older than the minor adopted child

To be able to adopt in Puerto Rico you must be a part of the State Voluntary Adoption Registry (REVA by its Spanish acronym).

To apply to be part of REVA, you must send the following documents to the above mailing address:

  • Notarized home study
  • Criminal record checks (local and state criminal background check and fingerprints identification)

Costs to foster and adopt

As a resident of the United States, you are responsible for the cost of the notarized home study and criminal record checks (local and state criminal background check, fingerprint identification) you send to the Family Department to be part of REVA.

Families adopting children who qualify for a subsidy may be eligible for the reimbursement of limited nonrecurring adoption-related costs, including legal costs. You will learn more about this during the adoption orientation process.

Post-adoption support services

See a comprehensive list of post-adoption and guardianship support services and support groups available to families who live in Puerto Rico.

Information on Puerto Rico's children

There are approximately 3,500 children in an out-of-home placement who are in the custody of the Puerto Rico Family Department. Of these children, approximately 450 have a plan of adoption where an adoptive family has not been identified.