|
Step-parent Adoption (continued)
Often times, it is better to do this while a child is pre-school age so that there is less confusion about the child’s sir-name and probably less general confusion for the child. A step-parent adoption can occur for children of any age, including individuals over the age of 21.
Agency Adoption
This type of adoption is one where a family is registered with a licensed child placing agency like Catholic Charities or
Lutheran Social Services and placement of a child is made through the agency. Families may be seeking a newborn, a younger child or a child of any age. In most cases the agency handles the termination of the natural parents’ rights
themselves through the court, prior to choosing a new family for the specific child. The agency charges certain fees, which attempt to cover their cost of terminating parent-child
relationships and its other administrative functions, like
attempting to put together the best children - parent matches and supervising their placements.
The agency will ask you to contact your lawyer shortly after you receive the placement of the child. From Whitmore &
Associates first meeting with the client to the adoption hearing, it generally takes 2 ½ to 3 months. Statutes require a period of supervision and the court usually likes to give the agency a
couple of months to observe the child in the home to insure that the placement is working well. This process ends in the adoption hearing, which is usually a 10 minute uncontested hearing with a Judge, where the Court gives a signed Adoption Decree at the conclusion of the hearing.
Next: Private Adoption
Previous: Step-parent Adoption
|
