Adoption is a wonderful thing because the adoptee gets a loving home, and it allows you to serve a positive parent figure. You need to meet a few basic requirements to adopt in Texas, though. Prospective adoptive parents must be at least 21 years old, have a stable income and agree to home study visits.
Adoption comes in several forms, and below are six you can consider for yourself and your family.
1. Open adoption
In an open adoption, a child communicates with biological and adoptive parents. They can keep in touch via letters, phone calls or video calls initiated by a liaison or on their own accord.
2. Closed Adoption
Adoptees have no contact with their biological parents in closed adoptions. This usually happens in the case of abuse or the parents giving up their parental rights for other reasons.
3. Semi-Open Adoption
An adoption agency facilitates contact between adoptive families and biological parents. Semi-open adoptions allow both families to contact each other while keeping identifying information secret.
4. Relative Adoption
Relatives like grandparents, aunts/uncles, siblings and cousins adopt grandchildren, nieces/nephews, younger siblings and cousins respectively. A relative adoption helps adoptees maintain family ties and occurs when their birth parents are deceased, have relinquished their parental rights or are imprisoned.
5. Stepchild Adoption
A stepparent can adopt their spouse’s child as long as they get consent from both biological parents unless one of them has their parental rights terminated or relinquished. Stepchild adoption lets stepparents provide stepchildren medical and inheritance benefits.
6. Adult Adoption
Many families adopt adults aging out of foster care or needing 24/7 care due to a disability. Though rare, some adults volunteer to be adopted, which is recognized under Texas Family Code Chapters 162.501-507.
Many children, teens and even adults need a place to feel like part of a family. It’s best to seek legal assistance if you’re interested in more information concerning adoption.
