Children become available for adoption for many different reasons and under many different circumstances. Adoptions can take longer or shorter amounts of time and there can be delays for a variety of reasons. Whether you are an expectant mom considering adoption or a would-be adoptive parent eagerly awaiting your new son or daughter, you may have a practical question about the child’s situation during the process. Where does the adopted child live while the adoption is being finalized?
Private adoptions
In a private adoption, where the birth parents agree to place their child with the adoptive parents, it is usual for the child to go to live with the adoptive parents immediately — often right from the hospital where they are born.
This can be considered a “legal risk placement,” since there is a legal waiting period before the birth parent’s legal rights are terminated. However, the adoption in these situations is usually finalized and the child is already in his or her new home.
Adoption from foster care
When a child in foster care is available for adoption, which is to say that their birth parents’ legal parental rights have already been terminated, the foster family the child is staying with may also be their adoptive family. If not, the child will usually stay with the foster family until the adoption is finalized.
At that time, they can go home with their new adoptive family.
A child given up for adoption
If a birth mother decides to relinquish her baby for adoption without choosing a family — a so-called “last minute” adoption decision — the child will usually go into a foster care home while an adoptive parent is found and the legal process is completed.
If you are pregnant and considering adoption, you can avoid having your child placed in foster care by making your decision before entering the hospital for labor and delivery. Contact Heimer Law and let us help you through the process of choosing a loving home for your baby.
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