If you are a Texas resident interested in adopting a child, there is a prescribed process that your adoption lawyer will help you to follow.
Since a successful adoption can take some time because it requires careful screening to be sure prospective parents satisfy certain requirements, it’s best to work with adoption lawyers experienced with the procedure who can guide you through the process as outlined below.
What Are Basic Texas Adoption Requirements?
Whether you are interested in adopting an infant or older child either domestically or internationally, the basic requirements to do this are the same.
For your adoption lawyer to guide you through the process to a successful adoption, you and your spouse must be at least 21 years of age and financially stable, provide proof of legal marriage and/or divorce, and be able to provide references to substantiate your good character.
In addition, you must also agree to a child abuse and criminal background check, share family history and personal lifestyle information, and have a home study completed.
Your attorney will help you gather all the necessary information and arrange for all screening required to submit a completed adoption application.
What Type of Screening Is Done?
After your adoption lawyer has helped you meet the basic requirements, they will assist you in setting up a required home study consisting of a detailed screening.
A home study involves a caseworker coming to your home for an interview to learn about your family history and lifestyle, then meet other family members to see how your family functions and if adoption is recommended.
In addition to the home study, adoption agencies do a background check to determine if you have any type of a criminal record and ensure you have never been charged with or convicted of child abuse or similar charges.
We Were Matched for Adoption - Now What?
After the home study is complete and you have collected all required information with the help of your adoption attorney and an adoption application has been submitted, the wait begins.
Approved profiles will be shown to mothers who are planning on giving their babies up for adoption so they can choose the parents for their baby, a process that could take many months, so it’s important to be patient.
After a mother has chosen an applicant, the wait for the birth of the baby begins, which is when you, your lawyer, and the birth mother can decide whether there will be any contact between you and the birth mother before the birth and what kind so she can get to know you better.
The birth mother will sign the consent to adoption and the birth mother’s and father’s rights will be legally terminated within 48 hours of the birth.
Your role at the time of birth and at the hospital will also be planned during this period as well as a discussion about any post-placement contact since this must also be written into the adoption plan.
How Is the Adoption Process Finalized?
After the birth parent’s rights have been terminated and transferred and you have returned home with a new member of your family, lawyers who handle adoptions in Texas advise their clients that there is still a finalization process to be completed.
With out-of-state adoptions, you must stay in the birth state long enough for ICPC or Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children paperwork to clear, usually 7 to 10 business days.
Then within a few weeks or months of the birth, you will have a few post-placement visits to your home to ensure the adoption is going well and the child is fitting into your home and family.
The adoption will then be reviewed by a judge in family court and finalized.
Some Final Adoption Thoughts
There is no doubt that for some Texas families, adoption is a happy and rewarding choice.
The process involved can certainly seem daunting, which is why the help of an experienced adoption lawyer is so invaluable to make sure you understand the process and can assist you until the adoption is finalized in court!