What to Know About Adopting Children Out of Foster Care System 

Introduction 

The act of adopting a child is an extremely personal decision that has long-lasting effects for both the adopted child as well as for the parents who do the adoption. The circumstances around adoption will be unique to each party involved. Hence, the legal process can be quite complicated and is understandably very procedural.  
 

The Different Types of Adoption 

Some states in the U.S. have a public adoption system, which involves using a public agency. The District of Columbia is a jurisdiction where this occurs. On the other hand, in private adoptions, the adopting parents are able to communicate directly with the biological parents in order to work out the appropriate circumstances for the child. There is also a distinction between open adoption and closed adoption. Washington D.C. is a closed adoption jurisdiction.  This means there is usually no contact between the birth parents and the adopted child after the adoption takes place. However, the adopting parents may choose to allow continued contact between one or both of the birth parents and the adopted child.  This is usually facilitated through a signed agreement. 

How Does the Process Work? 

In the District of Columbia, the laws around adoption require all parties to adhere to strict requirements in order to ensure that the new situation will be in the best interests of the child. The ‘best interests of the child’ is a common standard used in family and adoption law cases in many other jurisdictions across the United States. In D.C, the first step usually involves filing a petition with the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The filing of this document will formally initiate the process. Next, the adopting parents are usually required to submit paperwork, which is followed by an investigation of the adopting parents ‘parental fitness’. This investigative stage is extremely important and is a process that involves close scrutiny of the parties’ lives.  

Conclusion 

Overall, adopting children out of the foster care system in Washington D.C. is a procedurally demanding, time-intensive, and complicated process. The reason being that it is one of the most important decisions an adopting parent can make, and it is definitely the most important change of circumstances for the child themselves. It is also important to remember that there are differing procedural routes the adopting parents can take. These include: public vs private adoptions and open vs closed adoptions. The overall process starts with the filing of a petition at court, followed by the completion of additional paperwork by the adopting parents, which in turn is followed by an investigation of the adopting parents (in order to figure out if they are fit to be parents). In conclusion, if you would like to adopt a child within Washington D.C., make sure to hire a qualified lawyer who can assist you through the process.