The Adoption Process in Pennsylvania
Understanding The Five Steps Of The Pennsylvania Adoption Process
The adoption process in Pennsylvania involves complex steps. Below is a list of the steps involved.
Five Steps To Adopting In Pennsylvania
- Pre-adoptive home study and pre-placement report: Documents the fitness of adoptive parents and the home environment.
- Report of intention to adopt: Documents specific information about the person with custody currently, the child, the intermediary (adoption agency, lawyer, doctor or other relevant third-party connection) and the proposed adoptive parent(s) — not required if proposed adoptive parent(s) are related by blood or marriage (stepparent) to the child.
- Report of intermediary: Documents information about the intermediary, child, date of placement, accounting of monetary payments, any property owned by the child, interstate issues, medical history, and whether termination of parental rights has occurred — not required if proposed adoptive parent(s) are related to the child by blood or marriage (stepparent), or if parents found each other through private channels.
- Termination of parental rights: There are three methods to terminate biological parental rights either voluntarily to an adoption agency or adoptive parents, through written consent to the adoption court, or involuntarily by court order.
- Petition for adoption: Compiling of law enforcement clearances, the child’s original birth certificate, the marriage license of adoptive parents, marriage and divorce decrees from any prior marriages, interstate custody documents if applicable and other legal certifications must be complete prior to an adoption hearing.
If you need assistance with the adoption process, contact our attorneys at Gardner Law Office at 610-866-9529. Serving Bethlehem and all throughout Lehigh Valley.