Adoption consent refers to the birth parent or agency that is acting in place of a birth parent, to release or relinquish a child for adoption.
Almost all states require that older children give consent to their adoptions. Most states set the age of consent at 14 years. Other States say 12 years while a few go as young as 10. This requirement can be waived if the child lacks mental ability to consent or if the court finds it in the best interest of the child to waive the consent.
SOURCE: Child Welfare Information Gateway

