Arkansas law requires that an Adoption Information Sheet be provided to the Department of Health and Human Services for each adopted child. What is an Adoption Information Sheet? It is a standardized form that includes information about the child, the birth family, the adoptive parents, and the adoption process.
Information about the child and birth family
The form actually has very few questions about the child or the birth family. It asks the ages and states of residence of the birth parents, whether there will be continued contact with the birth parents, and whether a surrogate was involved in the child’s birth. It also asks whether the birth father is a legal father (for example, the husband of the birth mother) or a putative father, and whether his consent is required.
Information about the adoptive parents
The form asks more about the adoptive parents, including their race, age, gender, marital status, and residence. The form collects all information on previous criminal conviction son the part of either adoptive parent, as well as their relationship to the adopted child. For example, the form asks whether the adoptive parent is a stepparent or a relative of the child.
Information about the adoption process
The Adoption Information Sheet includes plenty of questions about the process of the adoption, including the cost, whether there was a Home Study and if so what it cost and who conducted it, and whether it was an international adoption. Was the adoptive parent given a full social, genetic, and medical history of the child? How long did the process take? Was it a lawyer or a physician who brought the child to the parents’ attention? Was an agency or the Department of Human Services involved?
The purpose of the Adoption Information Sheet
It serves as a documented record that certain information was provided to the adoptive parents. It also streamlines the process by providing a standardized document that outlines key information.
The Arkansas law requiring the form gave the reasoning behind it:
The General Assembly finds that:
- (1) There is a need for more information on adoptions that occur in Arkansas;
- (2) No governmental agency has the responsibility for gathering information on Arkansas adoptions; and
- (3) Without adequate data, the General Assembly cannot make informed decisions regarding changes that may need to be made to adoption laws.
The information motion sheet is the solution to these concerns.
The sheet doesn’t include any identifying information about any of the people involved in the adoption, but gives quantifiable information about adoptions in Arkansas generally. It will be given to the adoptive parents by the clerk of the court and must be returned to the clerk, who will send it on to the Department of Human Services. It is not used in decisions made about the adoption.
The form is just one step in the adoption process. Heimer Law can help you navigate all the many steps involved in your adoption journey. Contact us for a free consultation.
Inquiry Form