Minors’ Rights as Parents
Background
Many states require parental involvement in a minor’s decision to terminate a pregnancy. In sharp contrast, states overwhelmingly consider minors who are parents to be capable of making critical decisions affecting the health and welfare of their children without their own parents’ knowledge or consent. Nearly every state permits minor parents to place a child for adoption, although some require an adult to be involved in the process in some capacity. Moreover, most states authorize minor parents to make health decisions for their children, and some allow minor parents to authorize surgery.
Visit our state legislation tracker for policy activity on all sexual and reproductive health topics.
Highlights
- 40 states and the District of Columbia allow minors to place their child for adoption, either explicitly or by making no distinction between minor and adult parents.
- 28 states and the District of Columbia explicitly allow minors to consent to their child’s adoption.
- 12 states make no distinction between minor and adult parents.
- 10 states require the involvement of an adult in the adoption process.
- 5 states require minors to be represented by legal counsel or require courts to appoint counsel in adoption hearings.
- 4 states require minors’ parents to consent, and 1 state requires that the parents be notified, when a child is placed for adoption.
- 30 states and the District of Columbia allow minors to consent to medical care for their children; 20 states have no explicit policy on whether a minor may consent to medical care for their children.
For more information
Public Policy Office
Topic
United States
Geography
Minors' Rights as Parents |
||||
STATE |
PLACING CHILD FOR ADOPTION |
CONSENTING TO MEDICAL CARE FOR CHILD |
||
Minors May Consent |
3rd Party Involvement |
Minors May Consent |
No Explicit Policy |
|
Alabama |
X |
|
X |
|
Alaska |
X* |
|
X |
|
Arizona |
X |
|
|
X |
Arkansas |
X* |
|
X |
|
California |
X |
|
|
X |
Colorado |
X |
|
X |
|
Connecticut |
|
Court-appointed counsel |
X |
|
Delaware |
X |
|
X |
|
Dist. of Columbia |
X |
|
X |
|
Florida |
X* |
|
X |
|
Georgia |
X |
|
X |
|
Hawaii |
X |
|
|
X |
Idaho |
X |
|
X |
|
Illinois |
X |
|
X |
|
Indiana |
X |
|
|
X |
Iowa |
X* |
|
|
X |
Kansas |
X |
|
X |
|
Kentucky |
|
Court-appointed counsel |
X |
|
Louisiana |
|
Parental consent† |
X |
|
Maine |
X* |
|
|
X |
Maryland |
X |
|
X |
|
Massachusetts |
X* |
|
X |
|
Michigan |
|
Parental consent |
X |
|
Minnesota |
|
Parental consent |
X |
|
Mississippi |
X |
|
X |
|
Missouri |
|
Court-appointed counsel |
X |
|
Montana |
|
Legal counsel |
X |
|
Nebraska |
X* |
|
|
X |
Nevada |
X |
|
X |
|
New Hampshire |
X‡ |
|
|
X |
New Jersey |
X |
|
X |
|
New Mexico |
X |
|
|
X |
New York |
X |
|
X |
|
North Carolina |
X* |
|
|
X |
North Dakota |
X |
|
|
X |
Ohio |
X |
|
|
X |
Oklahoma |
XΩ |
|
X |
|
Oregon |
X* |
|
|
X |
Pennsylvania |
|
Parental notification |
X |
|
Rhode Island |
|
Parental consent |
X |
|
South Carolina |
X |
|
X |
|
South Dakota |
X* |
|
|
X |
Tennessee |
X |
|
X |
|
Texas |
X* |
|
|
X |
Utah |
X |
|
X |
|
Vermont |
X |
|
|
X |
Virginia |
X |
|
X |
|
Washington |
|
Court-appointed counsel |
|
X |
West Virginia |
X |
|
|
X |
Wisconsin |
X* |
|
|
X |
Wyoming |
X |
|
|
X |
TOTAL |
40 + DC |
10 |
30 + DC |
20 |
* State makes no distinction between minor and adult parents. |