ICPC State Pages

About the ICPC

The Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (AAICPC) was established in 1974 and consists of members from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The AAICPC has authority under ICPC to "promulgate rules and regulations to carry out more effectively the terms and provisions of this compact." The AAICPC obtains its Secretariat Services, as an affiliate of the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA).

For more information, please visit the AAICPC website.

Contact the AAICPC

American Public Human Services Association
1133 Nineteenth Street, NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 682-0100
fax: (202) 289-6555

Web Manager: Carla Fults [cfults@aphsa.org]

Click on a state to see it's page:

ICPC STATE Pages

New Mexico

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain · Phone: (505) 827-8400 · Fax: (505) 476-5490

New Mexico Adoption

New Mexico permits the following types of adoptions in addition to public adoptions:

Adoption Type	Yes/No
Private Agency	Yes
Private Attorney	Yes
Independent	Yes

Adoption Statute-Non-Agency; Independent; Private Adoptions:

32A-5-1 NMSA 1978

Senate Bill 27 {Section 32A-5-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993,
Chapter 77, Section 130, as amended)}

Public

Public Adoptive Placement-Requirements:

32A-5-12 NMSA 1978

Adoption Assistance

Adoption assistance payments begin:

After the adoption is finalized

Sending State Adoption Subsidy Payments (Guidelines):

No information provided

Special Needs

New Mexico definition of "Special Needs":

2A-5-43 through 32A-5-45

(a)     the child cannot or should not be returned to the home of the parents;

(b)     there exists a specific factor or condition (such as the child’s age, ethnic background, emotional, physical or mental disability, or membership in a minority or sibling group) making it reasonable to conclude that the child cannot be placed for adoption without providing adoption assistance; and

(c)     except where it would be against the best interests of the child, a reasonable but unsuccessful effort has been made to place the child without adoption assistance.

Finalization

Adoption may be finalized in another state:

Before finalization can occur in New Mexico, child must be in adoptive placement:

6 months
Other

NM establishes time frames for finalization based on the age and needs of the child pursuant to the Adoption Act, 32A-5-25 and the time frames for court approval of finalization pursuant to 32A-5-36 F(6) NMSA 1978.

Statutory code/cite for Adoption Petition:

32A-5-25 NMSA 1978

Court Jurisdiction for Adoption Cases:

District Court

Home Study (Adoptions)

Statutory code/cite for the Adoptive Home Studies:

32A-5-14 Pre-placement stud