What Are My Rights Regarding Adoption in Pennsylvania?
Adoption is a beautiful way to grow your family, but the legalities can be daunting. If you’re preparing to adopt, knowing your rights and protecting them is key. In fact, one of the most important steps anyone in your position can take is consulting with an experienced Harrisburg adoption attorney early in the process.
Who Can Adopt in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania is an adoption-friendly state, and as such, they have only a few parameters in place regarding adoption. The main parameter is that you must be married if you would like to adopt your partner’s child.
To adopt, however, you will need to pass a rigorous home study and be financially, physically, and emotionally ready to take on the immense responsibility of adoption.
Background Checks
The kind of adoption you’re pursuing will determine the level of background checks that will need to be performed before you can adopt. For example, if you’re pursuing a stepparent adoption, the child is already an important part of your life, which generally means the path forward will be less rigorous.
If, on the other hand, you are pursuing a private, domestic adoption of an infant, you can expect a thorough home study investigation that includes a detailed criminal background check and fingerprinting.
The Steps in the Process
The basic steps in the adoption process include the following:
- Selecting an Adoption Agency – It makes sense to choose a PA adoption agency in your area, and your trusted adoption attorney can help you make the right choice for you.
- Completing the Application Process – After choosing an agency, you’ll need to complete your application to begin the adoption process. The agency you work with will determine the specifics of this step, and your attorney will help to ensure that your application is in order.
- Completing the Family Profile – Your family profile will reflect the information gathered in a series of meetings between you and the adoption professional handling your case. Once you’re approved by the adoption agency, you can begin the matching process.
- Entering the Matching Process – The agency you’re working with will share your approved family profile with those agencies that are responsible for placing waiting children.
- Having a Pre-Placement Visit – Once you’ve been tentatively chosen as a candidate for adopting a specific child, a pre-placement visit will be arranged to see if you’re a good fit for one another.
- Placement – At this point, the child you’re adopting will move into your home with you, and from here, you’ll have placement supervision, which should ultimately lead to adoption finalization.
An Experienced Harrisburg PA Adoption Attorney Can Help
If you’re pursuing an adoption, you’re no doubt experiencing a good deal of excitement along with a healthy dose of anxiety about the process, which is admittedly challenging. The accomplished adoption attorneys at Purdy Law Office in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, are committed to helping clients like you enrich their lives through adoption, and we look forward to working with you. Learn more by contacting us online or by calling us at 717-527-5751 today.