Adoption is a process that creates a new family for a child or adult. The process for completing the adoption varies based on the type of adoption. Most types of adoptions require a completed home study (also called a “Family Assessment” or “Family Evaluation”) before the adoption legal process can begin. If the Department of Human Services is not involved and the court classifies your adoption as a relative, guardian, adult or step-parent adoption, the adoption process can begin without the home study, but one is needed before the adoption is completed.

Other Requirements
In addition to the home study children ages 14 and over can only be adopted if they give their consent in writing. Children under the age of 14 are consulted, but their written permission is not required. Another issue that must be resolved is whether the child will retain their current name. Once this decision is made and the adoption is completed, the court will submit a request to the state that issued the original birth record to issue a new birth certificate, which includes the child’s new name and the new parents’ name.

Upon Completion
Once the adoption is completed, the adoptive parents become fully responsible for the child and are legally obligated to provide for the child’s health, education, and welfare until the child reaches the age of majority or is emancipated.

Foster Care
Foster Care is meant to be a temporary situation for children and their families. Sometimes children come into the foster care system due to neglect; for example, the mother cannot pay her water and heating bills or is not providing adequate medical care for the child. Other times a child is placed in temporary foster care due to experiencing more significant types of abuse.

Interaction With The Court
Initially, the court places the children in temporary foster care while trying to determine what is in the best interest of the child. In some cases, temporary foster care ends when the child is reunited with their family. In other cases, the court concludes that termination of parental rights is in the foster child’s best interest. Once parental rights have been terminated, the child becomes available for adoption. Termination of parental rights is not a decision which is made lightly; the Court, foster care workers, and other service providers work to provide services to parents which will rectify the situation that initially brought the child into care and allow the child to return to their home of origin.