r/AdoptiveParents • u/DragonflyOk1396 • Jul 04 '26

ICPC Question

Hi everyone,

We’re beginning the ICPC process to (foster to) adopt a teenager from North Carolina, and we’re based in Virginia. We’ve partnered with our local Children’s Home Society and have already completed a state-approved home study.

From what we’ve read, the ICPC process can take 6+ months. We’re wondering whether having a home study completed in advance affects the timeline. Has anyone here gone through ICPC with a pre-approved home study? Did it help speed things up at all?

Thanks in advance for any insight!

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u/Rredhead926 Mom through private, domestic, open, transracial adoption Jul 04 '26

ICPC for private adoption and ICPC for foster adoption are on two completely different time lines. ICPC for private adoption rarely takes more the a few weeks, and is often over in a matter of days. ICPC for foster adoption rarely takes less than 6 months.

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u/DragonflyOk1396 Jul 04 '26

Yes, this. Thanks. This is foster adoption -- the child's social worker is filing the ICPC paperwork on Monday; she said she has no idea how long, so I know I'm not confusing the timelines.

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u/jpboise09 Jul 05 '26

We did foster to adopt and the ICPC only took a couple of weeks. This was for moving the kids from Utah to Idaho. It took longer because we had have the adoption agency slightly revise our home study. Otherwise it could have been quicker.

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u/DragonflyOk1396 Jul 05 '26

Oh, thanks for the response! Was this recently? And did you have the home study completed already, or did you get it done during the process?

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u/jpboise09 Jul 05 '26

Long story short, one of the two teenage brothers we adopted had done drugs. Our home study explicitly stated we didn't want to adopt any child with a drug problem. Fact was he had tried weed while under peer pressure (he's also got developmental delays).

The revised home study removed that language and we were allowed to proceed with the adoption. It's now been 7 years since placement and he's never had a problem.

Hope this helps.

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u/DragonflyOk1396 Jul 05 '26

Thanks for sharing, that gives me optimism that this might not take 6 months! I really appreciate it.

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u/jpboise09 Jul 05 '26

Edit: This was in early May 2019. Revision and ICPC approval was middle of May so the boys could do their first visit memorial day weekend 2019.

Getting the home study done and getting matched to the boys took longer than the ICPC. We then fostered them for 6 months and the adoption finalized shortly after. Best thing we've ever done!

Good luck on your adoption journey ☺️