Adoption Simplified

Adoption is a legal process whereby custody of a child is transferred from the biological parents to adoptive parents. The actual legal process varies according to state law and in many cases may also vary by county.

Before birth:

1. The biological parents (also known as birth parents) of the child will work with an adoption professional who will guide them through the adoption process.
2. The birth parents have many choices to make such as selecting the adoptive family, creating a hospital plan, and deciding how much contact they would like to have with the adoptive family during the pregnancy and after birth.
3. Sometimes only the birth mother is involved in the adoption process but counseling is usually offered to both birth parents. It is not as common for birth fathers to be involved in the adoption process.

After birth

1. The hospital plan which is sometimes created before the birth is followed. The hospital plan is designed to how the birth mother wants things to happen at the hospital such having the adoptive family present for the delivery or in the waiting room, deciding who will be present and saying goodbyes to the baby.
2. Birth parent(s) sign their parental rights to an adoption agency, attorney or directly to the adoptive family that they have chosen. In some states, the biological parents have to go to court and in other states they simply sign the legal adoption documents. This process varies by state and will be coordinated and completed by the adoption professionals.
3. If the birthfather is not involved there is a court process to terminate his parental rights, this process varies by state.
4. Once the child is placed with the adoptive family, the family will have follow up visits by a licensed social worker to evaluate the child in their home. This worker will write reports to court approving or not approving the placement.
5. Most states require a six month evaluation time frame and once that has passed then the adoption can be finalized, which means the adoptive family will return for the final court hearing that approves them as the child's permanent parents.
6. The finalization hearing is where the child's biological last name is changed permanently to the adoptive family's last name.
7. The birth parent(s) and the adoptive parents often have some sort of correspondence with each other that occurs until the child reaches 18 years of age. This may include exchange of pictures and letters, emails, phone calls and sometimes visits. At age 18, contact is up to the child, adoptive family, and the birth parent(s).