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Legal Considerations for Expectant Parents Considering Adoption
Adoption is governed by State law. Those laws vary from State to State. This section offers resources for adoption laws in all States and Territories to help you make informed decisions for your child.
Collection of Family Information About Adopted Persons and Their Birth Families | |
Series Title: | State Statutes |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 617KB) |
Year Published: | 2012 - 48 pages |
Summarizes State laws regarding the types of information that are required or permitted to be collected on adopted persons and their birth families. Information generally relates to medical and genetic history, family and social background, and mental health history. For the adopted child or youth, it may also include placement history and any history of abuse or neglect. This factsheet also includes information about the timing of such a report and exceptions for relative adoptions. |
Consent to Adoption | |
Series Title: | State Statutes |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 590KB) |
Year Published: | 2010 - 95 pages |
Reviews State laws that specify the persons who must consent to a child's adoption, timeframes for consent, and guidelines for revocation of consent. Summaries of laws for all States and US territories are included. |
Grounds for Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights | |
Series Title: | State Statutes |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 445KB) |
Year Published: | 2010 - 62 pages |
Reviews State laws that detail the specific circumstances that must be present when a court terminates the legal parent-child relationship. Summaries of laws for all States and US territories are included. |
Postadoption Contact Agreements Between Birth and Adoptive Families | |
Series Title: | State Statutes |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 352KB) |
Year Published: | 2011 - 48 pages |
Presents State statutes on postadoption contact agreements, which are arrangements that allow contact between a child's adoptive family and members of the child's birth family or other persons with whom the child has an established relationship. Topics covered include States that do and do not have enforceable contract agreements, parties to agreements, the court?s role, and mediation. The laws presented are current through May 2011. |
Pregnancy and Parenting: A Legal Guide for Adolescents With Special Information for Their Parents (PDF - 1468 KB)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2nd ed.) (2006)
Offers information on whether a minor in North Carolina can legally raise a child, have or refuse to have an abortion, or place a child for adoption.
Regulation of Private Domestic Adoption Expenses | |
Series Title: | State Statutes |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 405KB) |
Year Published: | 2010 - 62 pages |
Nearly all States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories have enacted statutes that provide some regulation of the fees and expenses that adoptive parents are expected to pay when arranging an adoptive placement. Some of the fees and expenses that are typically addressed in the statutes are placement costs, such as agency fees; legal and attorney expenses for adoptive and birth parents; and some of the expenses of the birth mother during pregnancy. This briefing provides general information on birth parent expenses, agency fees and costs, use of an intermediary, and reporting adoption-related expenses to the court. |
The Rights of Unmarried Fathers | |
Series Title: | State Statutes |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 626KB) |
Year Published: | 2010 - 104 pages |
Reviews the State laws related to unmarried fathers and explains the circumstances in which a man may be presumed to be the father of a child, paternity registries, alternate means for establishing paternity, revocations of claims, and access to information. Summaries of laws for all States and U.S. territories are accessible through the State Statute Search. |
State Laws on Adoption
Infant Adoption Training Initiative, National Council for Adoption (2007)
Presents seven frequently asked questions about adoption and a summary of each State's applicable laws.
Who May Adopt, Be Adopted, or Place a Child for Adoption? | |
Series Title: | State Statutes |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 543KB) |
Year Published: | 2012 - 37 pages |
Summarizes State laws regarding eligibility for becoming an adoptive parent (in terms of marital status, age, residency, and more), eligibility for being adopted as a child or adult, and authority to place a child for adoption. The summary is followed by an alphabetical listing of States' relevant statutes. |