Adoption can change your life and the life of the child that you are giving a home and a family. If you have always wanted to adopt, you might have questions about the process to do so. Most people are not aware of the various legal steps that have to be taken to adopt a child in the state of Missouri. There is a complex legal process that has to be followed when you are seeking to adopt, which is why it is a good idea to secure an adoption expert before you start your journey.
A St. Louis adoption attorney can help you to navigate the adoption process with ease. You will need to meet specific qualifications to be able to adopt, and then your lawyer will handle all of the documentation and other processes required to legally finalize your adoption. Giving a child in need a great home and making your family feel complete are both strong motivators for adoption in the state of Missouri if you qualify.
What is Legal Adoption?
Let’s first define legal adoption. This process legally names you as a child’s guardian and parent in the state of Missouri. It is common for children to be born to parents who cannot help raise them to move forward in their lives. In these cases, other people who meet the state’s criterion are allowed to petition to legally become the parents of the child in question.
This is a legal process that allows you to care for and provide a home for a child in need without the risk of the biological parent being able to come back at a later date and take custody of the child away again. Stability at home is critical for children from all walks of life and of all ages. Adoption is a legal process that helps to protect kids from living lives that are fraught with stress and a sense of being neglected or left behind.
Adoption Process in the State of Missouri
There are various criteria that you have to meet if you are going to start the adoption process in the state of Missouri. You will need to be sure that you meet all of these necessary standards or you will not be allowed to adopt a child.
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Pass a criminal background check
- Pass a child abuse registry check
- Have a stable income
- Be in good physical and mental health
- Complete a training and assessment program
- Live in a stable home or apartment situation that passes specific safety requirements
- Be willing to partner with the child’s biological family
- Be part of a professional team involved in the adoption process
If you meet these requirements, your lawyer can start the legal process to make you the parent and family of a child in need. Thankfully, this is not a costly process in most cases, and the state provides the training and assessment step free of charge.
1. Submit an Application
The first step of the adoption process is to submit an application to adopt. There will be screenings done as a part of this process. This is the first critical step of the work to adopt, and your lawyer can help you navigate this process.
2. Train
You will need to take the free training that is offered by the state of Missouri before you will be allowed to adopt. You will have to pass all of the required training modules to be allowed to move past this step. This serves as a good introduction to the demands of adoptive parenting and helps you to be ready to introduce a new child into your home.
3. License to Foster Parent
You will be granted a license to be a foster parent at this stage of the adoption process. This is almost always the first step to pairing families with kids, however, you can skip this step if you are applying to adopt right away or you have a specific child you are trying to welcome into your home. Foster care adoptions are the most common, but you might also want to apply for a domestic infant adoption or for an international adoption. These other kinds of adoption will often bypass the foster parent step.
4. Accept an Adoption Opportunity
When you are matched with a child in need, you will have the chance to find out a bit more about the child and their bio family before accepting. Matches can be quite far off from what you expected when you thought about adoption, so you should consider long and hard if you have specific limitations that you feel strongly about when it comes to adoption. You might have to wait a very long time if you are too picky about what you are looking for in your adoptive child.
5. Finalization
Once all the necessary paperwork has been filed, all that needs to be done is the finalization process. This often takes place about six months after placement. There will be a series of post-placement visits that are done by a social worker to confirm that you and the child are getting along and things are going well before you are allowed to legally finalize your adoption.
Your lawyer will help you with the necessary documentation to complete the adoption process to make sure that nothing is forgotten or left out.
Adoption Can Change Your Life and the Life of a Child for the Better
There are many kids out there who need parents and a place to call home. There are never enough foster homes or adoptive homes for these kids. Being able to provide a safe and loving home to a kid or kids in need can be beneficial to both you and the child. You will want to be sure to have a skilled legal team on your side throughout this process to ensure that no documentation is forgotten and to make certain that you are able to adopt a child without stress or worry.
