Adoption Forms

The most important part of every adoption, albeit not necessarily the most exciting, is the paperwork. Depending on the kind of adoption being pursued, your file may be bigger than average. Different adoptive processes have different levels of formality. And because "form" is the base of formality, the more formal an complicated an adoption, the more forms it will require.

The application form is one of the first that an adoptive couple will fill out. Next, the couple will probably begin to fill out various forms for their adoption profile and birth mother letter, if applicable. After being making arrangements for placement, it's important that the child's birth parents' or guardians' parental rights are voluntarily or involuntarily terminated. The latter is more likely to occur in a high risk foster care situation. Once these rights are terminated, the adoptive parents' rights can be finalized.

If an adopter is adopting an a child through an agency or independently, the child will need to live with the family for six months prior to finalization. During that time, a case worker will conduct post-placement visits and petition the court for the placement to be finalized.

International adoptions are where the heavy paperwork comes in. Forms for the child's visa, those that prove orphan status in the child's country of origin and forms to prepare the child's passport. If the adoption is finalized in his or her country of origin, the paperwork may need to be translated and notarized.