Adoption is a situation where full parental responsibility is assumed over a child by a guardian or guardians who are not the birth parents. In terms of family law in Pottsdown PA, this legal status severs most parental rights that the birth parents have over their child or children. The exact circumstances of the adoption are normally set out in an adoption order which is granted through the judicial system. The adopted child becomes a full member of the adoptive family; normally they take the surname and acquire exactly the same status in the family as any other member of the family unit. Whatever the circumstances the decision to adopt must ensure that the child has a safe, secure and loving environment in which to flourish in the adoptive family environment.
Contact with biological parents
The individual circumstances of the adoption order will determine whether or not there is to be contact between the adopted child and members of their birth family. In most cases it benefits the adopted child to have written contact with their family and to have regular visits with siblings whether they are estranged from their family or not. Any decisions on contact must place the well-being and safety of the adoptive child as absolutely paramount. This also needs to be considered by the adoptive family, they ought be comfortable with such contact, especially as the reason they are adopting is presumably that they care about the welfare of the child.
Caring for a child before adoption
Clearly, the decision to adopt a child is not to be taken lightly and must be conducted within the full framework of family law. A child can never be placed into adoption until the decision has been made either by the biological parents or through the courts. It is normal to place the child with the prospective adoptive family on a fostering basis and this situation should not be viewed as a guarantee that the adoption will go ahead. Fostering is in effect a stop-gap whilst the best decision regarding the future of the child is made. For infants of less than two years old and even more likely for newborns that a foster family may be able to adopt the child more rapidly, if once again it is considered as being in the best interests of the child to do so. Click here to know more.
