Sometimes parents are not able to give their child a safe, stable home. It takes love and courage to recognize that the child’s best interests would be better served by finding another home for him or her. If the parent is dealing with substance abuse, mental illness, incarceration, or other problems that affect the child’s welfare, tough decisions may need to be made. Adoption and guardianship are two possible solutions for situations like these. If you find yourself in this position, will adoption or guardianship provide the best outcome for you and your child?
Either adoption or guardianship will place your child in a safe, stable home with someone you have chosen to care for them. The big difference is that guardianship is intended to be temporary, while adoption is permanent.
Here are questions to consider in making the decision:
How long will the problem last?
Some situations are temporaty. A parent who must serve jail time or spend time in rehab or undergo extensive hospitalization for an illness or injury may not be able to care for the child right now. Homelessness or otehr instability may be a temprorary crisis with an end in sight. In a few months, it might be completely possible to resume regular family life. Guardianship is made for situations like these.
On the other hand, there may come a time to admit that attempts to solve the problem or problems have not worked out, and that it isn’t fair to keep your child in an uncertain position with no clear end in sight. If you know that it’s time to ensure that your child has a stable future that you cannot provide, adoption could be the best choice.
Is there a responsible person available?
If there is a family member or close friend who is willing and able to serve as a guardian, guardianship can be a practical solution. Often a grandparent or sibling will step up and care for a child for as long as it takes to overcome challenges.
If there is no trusted person currently in a position to be the child’s guardian, adoption may be a better choice than the foster system. There are plenty of movies and TV shows centered on people suddenly, unwillingly thrust into the position of parent-substitute for a young child or group of siblings. It’s a lot more entertaining on a screen than in real life. Guardianship is only a practical choice when there is a suitable guardian available.
How important is stability?
Adoption offers a permanent, stable home for a child. Your child can grow up in a safe home with parents who have proven they have the resources to care for a child.
At the same time, adoption does mean giving up your parental rights. It is not possible to plan to reunite with your child someday when you’re ready. An open adoption allows ongoing contact between birth parent and child, but the adoptive parents will be the child’s permanent, legal parents.
Sometimes a guardianship allows a troubled parent to keep the hope of returning to active parenting some day. That hope can feel important. On the other hand, it can also put children in the position of facing disruptions, uncertainty, or hopes that never become reality. If a temporary guardian is certain that they will never want to adopt the child, your child could also end up in the difficult position of an older child needing a home but having a lower cance of being adopted. Going from a birth parent to a temporary guardian and then into the foster system can be rough. Choosing adoption can require courage on the part of the parent.
Heimer Law is a family law firm in Arkansas, specializin gin adoption. We have the expertise to answer your questions fully and honestly. Call (479) 225.9725 or fill out our inquiry form for a free consultation.
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