Is there an upper age limit for adopting?
Differs by state or province
In most US states, adults of all ages can adopt, and there
are typically no upper age limits. The question people are usually
really asking is whether their age will count against them, which is a
different question with a more nuanced answer.
The formal position
AdoptUSKids states that in most states adults of all ages
can adopt and there are typically no upper age limits. Where limits
or preferences exist they are set locally, so the only reliable
answer comes from your own agency.
Minimum ages, by contrast, are real and specific: 18 in
California, 21 in Texas, Washington and Illinois, over 21 in New
York, 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, 19 in British
Columbia and Nova Scotia.
What is considered instead
Health and capacity over the length of a childhood, and
your support network. An assessment may reasonably explore whether
you will be able to parent a three-year-old through to adulthood,
and who is around if your health changes.
This is also where matching does real work. An older applicant
may be an excellent match for a teenager, and teenagers are among
the young people waiting longest.
One correction worth making
An earlier version of this site stated that the
organisation “doesn’t currently enforce an age limit”. That was
wrong in a way worth naming: we do not set eligibility rules at all.
Age limits, where they exist, are set by law and by the licensed
agency for your area.
Getting the answer for your area
Eligibility, timelines and money are set locally, and
they are finally confirmed by the licensed agency for your state or
province. We can tell you what those rules currently say where you
live, what they will mean in practice for your household, and what
to have ready before you speak to anyone.
Talk to us first. Tell us which state or province you
are in and what you are trying to decide, and we will explain what applies
where you live, what the next step is, and what to expect from it. There is
no cost and no obligation. Contact Foster Care
Adoption Home, or start your application
when you are ready.
Everything on this page is checked against the official source for each
jurisdiction, and those sources are listed below so you can read the wording
for yourself. We would rather you have both: our explanation of what it
means, and the original to confirm it against.
United States. AdoptUSKids publishes a page for every
state, plus DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Cherokee
Nation, naming the responsible agency in each.
Read the state pages.
Canada. There is no national system, so the rules are
published province by province:
- Ontario, Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. Local body: a children’s aid society.
- British Columbia, Adopt BC Kids, MCFD.
- Alberta, Children and Family Services.
- Quebec, Director of Youth Protection, via the Banque mixte programme.
- Manitoba, Department of Families.
- Saskatchewan, Ministry of Social Services.
- Nova Scotia, Department of Community Services.
If your province is not listed here we have not finished verifying it, and
we would rather say so than guess. Ask us and we will find the current
answer for you. The Adoption Council of Canada
is the national umbrella body, though it is not a regulator.
Sources
- AdoptUSKids, frequently asked questions
- Texas DFPS, adoption and foster care requirements
- Washington DCYF, the licensing process
- Illinois DCFS, foster care
- New York OCFS, foster care requirements
- Alberta, adopt a child in government care
- Adopt BC Kids, Ministry of Children and Family Development
- Nova Scotia, agency adoption
- Saskatchewan, planning to adopt
- Manitoba, adopting a permanent ward
Facts on this page were checked against the sources above on 20 August 2026. Rules change. If you are making a decision, confirm the detail with the agency responsible for your area.
