In my practice here in Kansas, I frequently meet prospective parents who want to adopt but are just too overwhelmed with information to know where to begin the adoption process. Rather than go over the specifics of international, foster care, or any other kind of adoption, I find myself walking these folks through the very basics of the adoption process. I understand that this can all seem incredibly overwhelming, so I created the following overview to provide a basic framework for understanding the adoption process.
Am I Too Young or Too Old to Adopt?
As long as you are a legal adult, you can adopt. You must be 18 to adopt a child, although it would be somewhat unusual for a court to find someone that young financially and emotionally fit to adopt a non-family member. It is important to know that there isn’t an adoption age limit. While you will have to show that you are in sufficiently good health to care for a child until he or she turns 18, there is no upper age limit to adopt.
Do I Need to Own a Home to Adopt?
I frequently hear this question, as many people seem to believe that they must own their home to adopt a child. This is absolutely false. Regardless of the type of adoption, the authority looking at your home wants it to be a safe, stable place for a child to grow up. Accordingly, while you do not need to own your home, you will likely need to show that you are not on the verge of eviction and can provide a consistent place for the child to live. If you have rented the same apartment for a few years, you should be fine. However, if you have been itinerant and have moved every few months, you may have a difficult time demonstrating stability.
It is also allowable to have roommates. That said because the adoptive children will be living with the roommates as well as you, the roommates need to be good role models and able to pass a background check as well. A home study will review whether your roommates abuse drugs or alcohol, are violent, or have a history of criminal behavior.
Will I Pass the Adoption Background Check Process?
Many people worry too much about the background check process, allowing it to become a barrier to bringing a child into your home. Yes, if you wish to adopt a child anywhere in the United States, you will have to have a background check. But a twenty-year-old marijuana possession charge, a misdemeanor for shoplifting when you were a teenager, or a more recent DUI will not necessarily torpedo your adoption process, especially if you are forthcoming about the convictions and how you learned from them. While more recent convictions for crimes of violence or serious drug use may be a bar to adopting, it is worth talking to an experienced adoption attorney to discuss your options before concluding that adoption is impossible for you.
What Should I Do If I am Hoping to Adopt?
Working with the help of an experienced Kansas adoption attorney can help you successfully navigate the adoption process. Getting an adoption attorney on your team is the first step to bringing a child into your home. If you additional questions about whether you are ready to commence the adoption process, call McDowell Chartered today at (316)-218-4551 now to discuss any one of many types of adoption with a full service adoption firm.
Attorney McDowell is an experienced Kansas adoption attorney and can walk you through the complex steps you will need to take to bring a child into your life.
