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When most people think of adoption, they think of babies or young children. However, adoption can also be an excellent option for teenagers. Many people wonder how adoption works for teenagers, and we’ll answer some common questions about the process. If you’re thinking about adoption, it’s essential to learn as much as possible about the process to make an informed decision.
In This Post:
How Does Adoption Work for Teenagers?
The teenage adoption process works in much the same way as any other type of adoption. A child is given up by their primary caregivers, and they are placed with a new family who will raise them as their own.
Who Can Be Adopted?
Any young person under 18 (the age of legal adulthood in most states) can be adopted by another family.
In most cases, the teen is in foster care. The teen’s caseworker will help them look for an adoptive family, and they’ll do things like setting up profiles for the teen so that they can match them with an appropriate family.
How Long Does Adoption Take?
Generally speaking, it takes between 6 months to a year for a child to be placed in an adoptive family.
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
Let the teen tell you their concerns and listen without judgment – They may not want to discuss these worries, but helping them talk them out can go a long way.
Seek a support network for your family, especially the adoptive teen – A child may not be interested in talking to you when struggling. They might respond better to another adult that can work through these worries with them.
Create a welcoming environment and keep communication open- It’s essential for the teen to feel like they can talk about their thoughts and feelings like,
- 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?
People’s most common concern about teen adoption is that the teen might not want it. If they don’t actively choose to be adopted, then they may feel like their rights are being taken away from them or that they are being forced into being part of a family.
However, it is possible to place a child in adoption without their consent if the court feels that it’s in the child’s best interest in most states. Parents are not allowed to force their children into adoption against their will, but they might be able to get custody of them re-assigned even after it’s finalized.
These days, most adoptive parents and their children work together to decide the best course of action for everyone involved. However, it can still be a tough decision for some young people, and the biological family might not want them to sign up for adoption without informed consent.
What is Informed Consent?
Informed consent is the legal term for agreeing to something after being given all relevant information that might affect their decision.
That means that if a teen signs up for adoption, then they need to know what it will mean for them, where their adoptive family lives, and how they can contact their biological parents if they want to.
If a teen doesn’t feel ready for adoption, the family might agree that their child stays with them until they are old enough and can legally take care of themselves without needing parental approval.
However, if that’s not possible because the child has been deemed unable to care for themselves properly, they might be able to get the court to take custody of them and place them in foster care until they are old enough for adoption.
It’s important to understand that when a child is taken away from their biological parents, it doesn’t mean that the parents have done anything wrong.
Most children who end up in the foster system do so because their parents can’t take care of them properly. This might be because the parents struggle with addiction, mental illness, or financial issues.
A child who is not in a safe environment may need to temporarily be taken away from their family while getting the help they need.
Teenagers and Foster Care
In most cases, a child who is 14 or older can be placed in foster care independently without any legal action being required.
This means that teens might get themselves into a safe environment if they feel threatened by their current living situation.
However, some states have different requirements for placing teens in foster care. Some states might require a court order if a child is not in immediate danger to ensure that the young person wants to get away from their biological family.
In some cases, teens who have been taken into foster care might return home after getting the help they need. However, that might not be possible if the parents are abusive or have severe mental health issues.
Requirement for Adopting Older Teenagers
In most cases, a state will require that adoptive parents have a certain amount of financial resources to adopt an older teenager.
Parents might need to show that they can support themselves without government assistance or prove that they have been employed for at least two years.
This also means there might be stricter requirements for adoptive parents who are not married, regardless of how old their children are.
If a teenager is considering adoption, they must take the time to learn about their current living situation and what might be involved in the adoption process before making any decisions.
Conclusion
Most adoptive parents and their children work together to decide the best course of action for everyone involved. However, it can still be a tough decision for some young people, and the biological family might not want them to sign up for adoption without informed consent.
If a teen doesn’t feel ready for adoption, the family might agree that their child stays with them until they are old enough and can legally take care of themselves without needing parental approval.
However, if that’s not possible because the child has been deemed unable to care for themselves properly, they might be able to get the court to take custody of them and place them in foster care until they are old enough for adoption.