Adoption
Laws and legal information about adoption
Adoption Overview
There are many reasons that birth parents decide to give children up for adoption, ranging from an attempt to provide a better life to an inability to care for the child. Likewise, there are many reasons for adopting, from an inability to bear biological children to a desire to provide a stable home for someone in need. Regardless of the reasons, all adoptions follow a similar legal process. Provided here is an explanation of various types of adoptions and the special considerations that are involved in each type. Read more
International Adoptions
Adopting children from all over the world has steadily increased in the past decade. Approximately 20,000 intercountry adoptions are taking place per year. In addition, there are more than 200,000 foreign-adopted children already living in the U.S.Because there are two separate intercountry adoption processes, U.S. citizens who are interested in adopting a child from another country should first decide on a specific country from which to adopt. The Hague Adoption Convention entered into force in the United States on April 1, 2008, which created a new process for immigrating adoptive children who reside in outher countries which are party to the Hague Adoption Convention. Read more
Adoption Rights of Lesbian and Gay Couples
Statistics show that approximately 250,000 children in the United States are being raised by lesbian or gay parents. Yet many states do not legally recognize the relationship between children and the gay or lesbian partner of their legal parents. Gay and lesbian couples face many unique challenges in parenting, and their options depend on the state in which they live. Provided here is a brief overview of the issues that are involved in lesbian and gay parenting. Read more