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In This Post:
How Does Adoption Work for Teenagers?
Who Can Be Adopted?
How Long Does Adoption Take?
The teen adoption process can vary depending on the state, but this is a general idea of what’s involved:
- A social worker will work with the teen to create an adoption profile that describes them and their interests.
- This is put together with information about the teen’s goals for their future, so potential adoptive families can see what they are looking for in their life.
- A family will be matched with the teen based on this information, and they’ll typically go through a home study process where the adoptive parents are evaluated to ensure that they are fit to care for the child.
- An adoption agreement is drafted between the teen and the adoptive family.
- The agreement is legally binding, so it can’t be broken once signed. The teen will have the chance to look over this document before they mark it to be comfortable with everything in it.
- Once an adoption is finalized, there are no legal ties between the teen and their biological family. The teen will have all of the rights and privileges of any other child in their adoptive family, including things like inheritance rights.
- This is what makes teen adoption so appealing to many young people. Once they are adopted, their biological parents cannot interfere with the adoption process or get back custody of them without severe legal consequences.
A Common Concern for Adopting a Teenager
- Will my new family be able to get along with my friends?
- How will I fit in with the rest of my family, especially if they weren’t the ones who adopted me?
- What if I want to go back and live with my biological family someday?
- Could I lose my adoptive family if I ever wanted to move back in with my biological family?
- Will I ever feel like a part of this family?