If you’re set on starting or growing your family, adoption may be an ideal way to embrace new parenting responsibilities, as well as help a child in need. But while this process has countless benefits, it also involves several steps that usually require the help of an adoption lawyer. To help shed more light on this path to parenting, here are four frequently asked questions about adopting in Kentucky.

4 FAQ About Adoption in Kentucky

Is foster care the same as adoption?

Adoption is designed to permanently include the minor as part of your family. Foster care, on the other hand, is designed to care for the child until they can safely rejoin their biological parents. If this outcome isn’t possible, foster care parents can often adopt the child.

What are the requirements to adopt?

Before you can legally adopt, you must meet a series of certification requirements as determined by the Kentucky Foster Adoptive Caregiver Exchange System.

Of these requirements, an adult must be at least 21 years old, earn sufficient income, and possess good physical and mental health. Applicants must also complete a state-sanctioned training program, as well as demonstrate that they can provide a safe and healthy home for a minor.

How do open and closed adoptions differ?

With an open arrangement, the adoptive and biological parents establish an agreement on how the child will engage with their birth mother and/or father.  

With a closed adoption, adoptive parents are introduced to their child through an agency and have little to no contact with the birth parents. At the same time, birth parents will have no information as to what happened to the child.

What does the adoption process involve?

After you know who you want to adopt—such as a family member or ward of the state—you will need to hire an adoption lawyer to guide you through the legal process. Next, a home study must be completed to ensure the child will have a safe and stable place to live. At this point, your attorney will obtain all the necessary consent forms and file a petition for the adoption.

Once the petition is processed by the state, you will pay all the necessary fees and enter a period of supervision. If the supervision period is successful, the relationship will be finalized in a court hearing—usually within about a year of the child being placed in the adoptive home.

Providing comprehensive family law services in Elizabethtown, KY, Lonneman & Associates, PLLC is ready to help you pursue adoption in Kentucky. Familiar with all state laws and certification steps, these adoption lawyers will guide you through every step with compassion and work expeditiously to ensure the process is completed within a timely fashion. Visit this firm online to learn more about their adoption, divorce, and child custody services. To schedule a consultation, call (270) 765-2190.