How does adoption work?

someone my mom knows has a daughter that has had 5 kids. she is pregnant with her 6th. she has gotten rid of all of them. she just gives them to who ever will take them and gets pregnant again. she does not want any of them so i do not see why she keeps having them.... any ways.... her mom is trying to figure out what to do and she asked my mom if she would be willing to take this one... there is a chance that the baby might be drug addicted but my mom has a big heart and said she would consider it. the only problem is that my mom does not know how to go about getting custody. she does not want the mother to be able to come back in the picture and take the baby after my mom and the family gets attached. i am super excited and so is everyone else but i just need to know what we would have to do to adopt the baby and make sure that she can not take him/her back... i doubt that she will want to but we just want to be safe. and does she just sign him/her over to my mom when he/she is born or what?

sizesmith

Your mom and the woman will have to have a presigned adoption plan up front. Your mom will have to undergo a home study, done by a licensed social worker, who will inspect her home, ask many, many questions about things like how her childhood was, what makes her think she'll be a suitable parent, why she wants to adopt, etc. Everyone living in your mom's house will have to undergo and pass criminal and background checks. Your mom will have to hire an attorney (an agency is only required in some states, contact me and I'll help you figure out some of the particulars). The woman placing the child will have to sign consent to adopt forms, along with the father. You say the baby will probably be born drug addicted? By law, she should be reported to the authorities for endangering the life of the child. If an adoption plan is not in place very quickly, then the baby will be taken by the state, and placed into foster care. The mother has every right to stop the relinquishement according to your state's laws, unless she tests positive for drugs, then the state will take the baby and try for reunification.

Jill_01

Your mom needs an attorney.
After the baby is born a TPR will be signed by the mother (usually 48-72 hours after birth). The father also needs to relinquish his rights.
Your mom will have to have a homestudy done to prove she's fit.
After that, the adoption is finalized and the mother can't come back and get the baby.
But it has to all be done legally.
What your mom would be doing is called a private or independent adoption. It's not as complicated as everyone is making it out to be and you do NOT have to use an agency.

Looney Tunes

Maybe you should tell your mom to tell this other lady to talk about BIRTH CONTROL with her daughter. Condoms, pills, IUD, etc are very useful in preventing unwanted pregnancies.

This lady has no care in the world about the damage she may be doing to innocent children and someone should step up and STOP her....(not just take her drug-addicted baby)

ladybmw1218

No, they can't just "sign the baby over". There must be a homestudy and legal filings at bare minimum. Some states require a licensed agency's involvement, others allow attorneys in private, directed adoptions.

You need to do a search for <your state> adoption laws first, then go from there.

rachelrmf@sbcglobal.net

After you talk with your lawyer he will go to court and file a petition for adoption, and should be able to set you up with some people that can provide a home study. In our home study we are doing it cost $800.00 plus $50.00 each to get our OSBI, FBI and Child abuse checks ran, You will pay around $50.00 each at the police dep. to get you finger prints to send off to those checks. You will also be out the cost for your medical exams. Six references will need to send letters to the home study. You will need to provide your last years taxes. You will need to provide a letter from your employer. You will need to list all meds and if any meds are antidepressents you will need to be cleared by a therapist. Then they will come out to your house for an interview and just to look around. When your home study is complete. this takes from 2-6 months your lawyer will set a court date for the mother and father as well as the couple wanting to adopt to sign over rights in front of a judge. This still does not make the adoption legal, but it is a step closer. Once the baby is born at least in my state the mother signs one more paper and then the adoption is legal. Some states have a time line that the mother can still change her mind after this point. So far we have paid 2,000 in lawyer fees 800.00 in court cost, 1200.00 for home study and fees, and we have a cap on what we spend for the mom which is about 5,000.00. My adoption is alot cheaper than most becuase we are adopting from a family member so we are paying for a kinshp adoption. If your not related to the mother the costs can be alot higher anywhare from 12,000.00 to 30,000.

ALi

You have to go through an agency

SgtShamy

someone gets pregnant
goes to an agency and drops off her unwanted kid and sighs relief knowing she can say that she didn't get an abortion
now her unwanted kid grows up knowing it's unwanted and MAYBE it gets a family that loving and wont hit him/her, and MAYBE it gets a family period....or it grows up and gets nothing

I'm adopted

....as far as your situation you need a lawyer. there is paperwork involved

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