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Adoption
Adoption
Through the process of adoption, the rights and obligations of biological parents are terminated. The child is then eligible for adoption by people who can care for them and be responsible for their health, education, and overall welfare. Once a child is adopted, the birth parents are no longer responsible for them, and the birth parents parental obligations no longer exist. The adoptive parent(s) is held accountable for the childs well-being, and the adoptive parent(s) decides whether the birth parent(s) will be allowed to visit with the child.
Generally, a child can be adopted by a single person or jointly by a husband and wife who are considered fit parent(s) by state standards. A stepparent may also be allowed to adopt their spouses child. Conditions for adoption vary from state to state. In some states, the adoptive parent must be a certain number of years older than the child they are adopting.
Types of Adoption
The types of adoption are private adoption, related adoption, stepparent adoption, agency adoption, and open adoption.
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Private adoption is when a family works with an adoption attorney, bypassing adoption agencies, to find a child to adopt. During a private adoption, adoptive parents may pay for the biological mothers medical and pregnancy expenses. However, adoptive parents are not allowed to pay the biological mother to give their baby up for adoption.
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Related adoption is when one of the childs relatives formally adopts the child.
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Stepparent adoption is when the biological parents spouse formally adopts the child.
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Agency adoption is when adoptive parents work with an agency to adopt a child. Agencies connect potential adoptive parents with biological mothers who wish to give up their children. Adoption agencies require potential adoptive parents to go through screening and tend to have long waiting lists.
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Open adoption is when the adoptive parents agree to allow the biological parents to see the child or have contact with the child after the adoption. The amount and type of contact is usually outlined in the adoption contract.
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