The petition for adoption is the Delaware Courts – Family Court form on which one or two petitioners ask to adopt a minor child. It identifies the petitioners and the child, names the person or organization legally qualified to consent, gives the name the child will take, and lists the documents that must be attached. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF is published by Delaware Courts at courts.delaware.gov.
Last updated
What is 150?
Petition for Adoption (Fill-In) is the Delaware Family Court form on which a petitioner, or two petitioners, state that they seek to adopt one or more minor children and supply the facts and attachments the court asks for.
The form is captioned "In and For New Castle Kent Sussex County", so the county of the Family Court is marked on the form. It has four main blocks:
- Petitioner and 2nd Petitioner (if any): name, addresses, phone numbers, email, relationship to the child(ren), marital status, attorney name, and whether an interpreter is needed and in which language.
- A child table: name, the petitioner's relationship to the child, date of birth, place of birth (city, state) and gender, with room for three children and a note to attach additional sheets if necessary.
- Eight numbered items: who may consent, the name the child will take, interstate placement, attached documents, consent and the hearing/ceremony request.
- A closing signature block sworn before a notary public or Clerk of Court, and a separate Affidavit of Truth.
The petition works together with other Family Court forms it names: the Affidavit of Expenses (Form 156), the Affidavit of Consent of Child 14 years of Age or Older (Form 159), the Affidavit of Consent of Natural Parent whose Spouse is Petitioning for Adoption (Form 158) and the Consent to Termination and Transfer of Parental Rights (Form 140).
Who needs to file 150?
A person, or two people together, who seek to adopt a minor child in Delaware complete this petition. The form has one column for the petitioner and one for a 2nd Petitioner (if any), and each asks for the relationship to the child(ren) and the marital status.
Some entries depend on the case:
- Stepparent adoptions: item 1 has a separate column for the date of marriage between the stepparent and the natural parent, used instead of the date of the child's placement in the adoptive home.
- Children 14 or older: item 6 asks whether the child is 14 years of age or over, and a yes answer requires the Affidavit of Consent of Child 14 years of Age or Older (Form 159).
- Children coming from another state or country: item 3 asks whether the child is being brought into Delaware for adoption.
- Petitioners who need language help: each petitioner column asks whether an interpreter is needed and in which language.
The signature line reads "Petitioner/Petitioner's Attorney", so an attorney may sign for a petitioner. Each person who signs the Affidavit of Truth is the affiant, and the petition is sworn before a notary public or Clerk of Court.
When to file 150
The form prints no deadline of its own. You complete it when you are ready to ask the Family Court to grant an adoption, after you have gathered the documents it lists in items 3 through 7: the child's birth certificate, the Affidavit of Expenses (Form 156), and the consent and compliance documents that apply to your case.
Plan the sworn signatures too: the petition must be sworn to and subscribed before a notary public or Clerk of Court, and the Affidavit of Truth also needs a notary. Item 8 lets you say whether you want a hearing or ceremony if the adoption is granted; the form states that having one is solely within the discretion of the hearing officer.
Documents you need
- The child's birth certificate, not the certificate of live birth, attached to the petition (item 4).
- The mandatory Affidavit of Expenses (Form 156), attached to the petition (item 5).
- If the child is being brought into Delaware from another state or country for adoption: proof of compliance with the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children, as written approval from the Delaware Division of Services for Children, Youth and Family Services (item 3).
- If the child being adopted is 14 years of age or over: an Affidavit of Consent of Child 14 years of Age or Older (Form 159) (item 6).
- If the person legally qualified to consent has consented, the Affidavit of Consent of Natural Parent whose Spouse is Petitioning for Adoption (Form 158), as listed under item 7.
- If consent has been given, a certified copy of the marriage certificate between the natural parent and stepparent, as listed under item 7.
- If consent has been given, the Consent to Termination and Transfer of Parental Rights (Form 140), as listed under item 7.
- Additional sheets for children beyond the rows in the child table, which the form says to attach if necessary.
How to fill out 150
Mark the county and file number
At the top, mark the Family Court county (New Castle, Kent or Sussex) and complete the In the Matter of line. Enter the File Number in its box if you have one.
Enter petitioner contact details
Under Petitioner, enter name, street address, P.O. Box Number, City/State/Zip Code, Home Phone, Work Phone and Email Address.
Add relationship and status details
Enter your Relationship to Child(ren), choose Married or Single under Marital Status, and add the Attorney Name if you have one. Answer Interpreter needed? Yes or No and give the Language.
Complete the 2nd Petitioner column
If a second person is petitioning, repeat the same entries in the 2nd Petitioner (if any) column. Leave it blank if there is no second petitioner.
List each child
In the child table, enter each child's name, your relationship to the child, date of birth, place of birth (City, State) and gender. Attach additional sheets if you have more children than rows.
Identify who may consent (item 1)
Enter the person or organization legally qualified to consent, their address, and either the date of the child's placement in the adoptive home or, for a stepparent adoption, the date of marriage between the stepparent and the natural parent.
Enter the child's new name (item 2)
Write the name or names the child(ren) will assume upon adoption.
Answer items 3 through 6
Answer Yes or No for interstate or international placement (item 3) and for a child 14 or older (item 6). Confirm the birth certificate (item 4) and Affidavit of Expenses, Form 156 (item 5) are attached.
Answer the consent question (item 7)
Answer whether the person legally qualified to consent has consented. If Yes, confirm the listed attachments are included: Form 158, the certified marriage certificate and Form 140.
Choose the hearing or ceremony option
In item 8, mark whether you do or do not wish to request a hearing/ceremony if the adoption is granted. The hearing officer decides whether one is held.
Sign the petition and Affidavit of Truth
The petitioner or petitioner's attorney, and Petitioner 2 if any, sign and date, then swear the signature before a notary public or Clerk of Court. Complete the Affidavit of Truth with the affiant's name and notary.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check names, dates and every Yes/No answer against your attachments. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and take it to the notary or Clerk of Court as described under How to submit.
How to submit 150
The form prints no mailing address, portal or appointment rule, so it names no filing channel of its own. It is captioned for the Family Court "In and For New Castle Kent Sussex County", so you mark the county where the petition is brought and follow Delaware Courts' filing instructions for that court.
Before you file, make sure the package is complete:
- The petition signed by the petitioner or the petitioner's attorney, and by Petitioner 2 if any, with the "Sworn to and subscribed before me" lines completed by a notary public or Clerk of Court.
- The Affidavit of Truth signed by the affiant before a notary public.
- Every attachment that your answers to items 3 through 7 call for.
Delaware Courts publishes this and other court forms at https://courts.delaware.gov/forms/list.aspx. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the court's channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Attaching the certificate of live birth instead of the child's birth certificate; item 4 says the birth certificate, not the certificate of live birth.
- Leaving out the Affidavit of Expenses (Form 156), which item 5 calls mandatory.
- Answering Yes to item 6 (child 14 or over) without attaching the Affidavit of Consent of Child 14 years of Age or Older (Form 159).
- Answering Yes to item 3 (child brought from another state or country) without the written approval from the Delaware Division of Services for Children, Youth and Family Services.
- Answering Yes to item 7 without attaching the listed consent documents (Forms 158 and 140 and the certified marriage certificate).
- Listing more children than the table has rows without attaching additional sheets.
- Signing the petition or the Affidavit of Truth without a notary public or Clerk of Court completing the sworn-to lines.
- Not marking whether you do or do not wish a hearing/ceremony in item 8, or assuming one is guaranteed; the hearing officer decides.
Frequently asked questions
What is the petition for adoption (Form 150) used for?
It is the Delaware Family Court form on which a petitioner, or two petitioners, ask to adopt a minor child. It identifies the petitioners and the child, names who may consent, states the child's new name and lists the documents attached to the petition.
What documents must I attach to the Delaware petition for adoption?
Always the child's birth certificate (not the certificate of live birth) and the Affidavit of Expenses (Form 156). Other attachments depend on your answers: ICPC approval, Form 159 for a child 14 or older, and Forms 158 and 140 plus a certified marriage certificate when consent is given.
Does the petition have to be notarized?
The form has a "Sworn to and subscribed before me" line for each petitioner, completed by a notary public or Clerk of Court. The separate Affidavit of Truth is also sworn before a notary public.
Can I fill out the petition for adoption online?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file the petition with the court; you still have it sworn before a notary or Clerk of Court and file it through Delaware Courts' channels.
Do I have to request a hearing or ceremony?
No. Item 8 asks whether you do or do not wish to request a hearing/ceremony if the adoption is granted. The form says that having one is solely within the discretion of the hearing officer.
What if the child is 14 or older?
Answer Yes to item 6 and attach an Affidavit of Consent of Child 14 years of Age or Older (Form 159). The form requires this attachment whenever the child being adopted is 14 years of age or over.
What if the child is coming from another state or country?
Answer Yes to item 3 and attach proof of compliance with the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children, in the form of written approval from the Delaware Division of Services for Children, Youth and Family Services.
Can an attorney sign the petition for me?
The signature line is labeled "Petitioner/Petitioner's Attorney", so the petitioner or the petitioner's attorney may sign. A second petitioner, if any, signs on the separate Petitioner 2 line. The Affidavit of Truth is signed by the affiant.
Ready to fill out 150?
Fill out 150 now