If you are thinking about placing your child for adoption, or if you are wanting to adopt a child yourself, I hope this article can be of use to help you through the Georgia adoption process. It will go over all the steps in the adoption process, as well as the requirements and some frequently asked questions.
Please note that this is a general guide to the adoption process with a focus on the specific laws of Georgia meant to spread knowledge to people who may need it. Anyone considering adoption or placing their child for adoption should consult with the proper legal officials (your local Division of Family and Children’s Services, an adoption lawyer or attorney, and/or a local adoption agency) for help in starting the process.
1. The Process
It would not do well to start an adoption without at least knowing the basics, now would it? Although all adoptions are essentially the same in concept (a child being legally brought into a new family) each state has its unique requirements and processes for expectant parents and hopeful adoptive parents to adhere to. Here, I will do my best to break down and explain the Georgia adoption process.
Step One: The Inquiry
In other words, the application for all expectant parents and hopeful adoptive parents have to submit is the inquiry. This is where it all begins. The inquiry is sent to Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services, and once contact has been made the adoptive prospective parents will receive information from their local Division of Family and Children Services office regarding their next steps. There are two main ways to do this. You may either call the Division of Family and Children Services at 1.877.210.KIDS (5437) or you may complete and submit the Homes for Georgia’s Kids Inquiry Form.
Step Two: The Information Session
Once your Inquiry Form or phone call has been processed, you will be notified about when the next information session will be. Information sessions are held and scheduled by the Division of Family and Child Services and are meant to be informational guides to launch the Georgia adoption process for prospective adoptive families. After attending, a Resource Development Worker will visit your home for a check-up before the Pre-Service Training. This is akin to an adoption home study, however much more brief and (as a confirmation procedure) they will ask you to carefully think over the information you’ve been given and the choice you need to make. This is where they help you decide if you truly think adoption is the route you want to go before the steps start becoming finalized. It is an important decision; that decision will have been locked into beyond this point.
Step Three: The Pre-Service Training
This can be done by either participating in the Adoption Preparation Program provided by your county’s Division of Family and Children Services or by using a similar program with a private adoption agency (the agency must still be under contract with the same county’s Division of Family and Children Services). The Adoption Preparation Program can also be known as IMPACT, which stands for Initial Interest, Mutual Selection, Pre-Service Training, Assessment, Continuing Development, and Teamwork. Now we know why they prefer to use an acronym. It contains 23 hours of parental guidance and training. If you go with a private adoption agency, they will give you some information services, training, family evaluations, and supervision comparable to IMPACT’s. You can find more information about IMPACT and Pre-Service Training.
Step Four: The Family Evaluation
Similar to a home study, the family evaluation is done by a caseworker and consists of them visiting your home, obtaining information on your medical, criminal, and financial history reports, as well as more discussions about the effects of adoption in general. When everything is decided and recorded, the caseworker will send in the full evaluation document. This is essentially the ticket that will be sent to the Adoption Exchange saying, “These people successfully completed the IMPACT Program and are ready to adopt”. Once you get to this stage, you are legally regarded as an available household for a child awaiting adoption.
Step Five: The Pre-Placement
Waiting for news about your potential adoption can be exciting, but also quite frustrating, especially if the time between completing the evaluation and matching with a child is long. The time it takes varies from home to home; however, there is a way to expedite the process. Prospective parents will have multiple opportunities to meet other adoptive parents as well as social workers at adoption parties and match meetings. There are also support groups for prospective adoptive parents. This is a great time to not only seek advice but also to begin actively searching and possibly identifying a child of interest. If you look into the children available for adoption and find one you are interested in adopting, you can ask a social or caseworker about inquiring about them, which might help to hasten the wait time.
Step Six: The Placement
When a child has been identified or a county Division of Family and Child Services office contacts a prospective adoptive family, everyone has a chance to look into more detailed information and then decide on the possible match. If they agree to the match, pre-placement visits will be scheduled. If both child and family feel comfortable, the child can be placed in the family (meaning they can now move in permanently) with an official signing of a Placement Agreement. Should the child have special needs, a Resource Development Worker may help out with an Adoption Assistance application.
Step Seven: The Finalization
Once an official release is sent from the Division of Family and Children Services, the prospective adoptive parents will have their attorney file an adoption petition. A hearing will then be held for one of the Superior Court Judges of the county to finalize the adoption procedure. The hearing does have a price, but it usually is nominal, and (in the case of a child with special needs) might be reimbursable. Once the final touches have been made in court, celebrate!
More information on the adoption process and other government resources can be found on Georgia’s Department of Human Resources website here.
Okay, with that overview of the adoption process in mind, we need to go over the smaller details of it all. There are some particular requirements to pay attention to, for anyone who finds themselves in the adoption process.
2. Requirements for the Georgia Adoption Process
Requirements for the Georgia adoption process as a hopeful adoptive parent:
- The person(s) must be either 25+ years old (if single), married and living with their spouse, or (for relative adoption only) 21+ years old.
- In addition to being either 25 or older (exception aside), the child you are adopting must be 10 years younger than you are.
- The adoptive parent(s) need to have been residents of Georgia for 6 months before starting the process.
- You cannot be considered for adopting a child if you have ever been convicted of any crimes against children (including abuse or neglect), abuse to a spouse, murder, or any other severe crimes.
- You and/or your spouse must be financially, physically, and mentally prepared to take on all of the responsibilities in nurturing a child.
- If you are married, both prospective parents need to consent and go through a joint adoption together. However, a step parent’s spouse does not need to join in the adoption. You may adopt the child while single.
Requirements for the Georgia adoption process as an expectant parent:
- Birth parents may consent to the adoption any time after the child’s birth. It must be done in the presence of an agency or department representative.
- In the case of a direct placement where the child is being surrendered to a third party that is not their stepparent or biological relative, the consent must be done in the presence of a notary.
- Birth parents have a window of four days after the signing to withdraw from the decision. After four days, the consent is official and irrevocable.
- Surrender of parental rights is required unless the child was abandoned; the biological parent cannot be located after a significant time; the parent does not have the mental capacity to consent to their rights being surrendered, or the parent did not care and support the child in lawful ways and thus the court decides to take the child away.
Even knowing both the overall process and the basic requirements, there are probably still unanswered questions bouncing around in your head. Luckily, this is why FAQ sections of articles and informational databases were created.
3. FAQs
Q: What expenses might I have to pay?
A: In Georgia, it is common for the adoptive parents to pay a portion of the medical (pregnancy-related) expenses of the birth mother. You might also have bills for adoption services or the child’s placement. Notice: You cannot use incentives to get a birth parent to surrender their child to you. Once the adoption petition is done, all parties also have to report all disbursements of valuables related to the adoption. Your attorney will also have to be paid.
Q: Is it legal to use advertising or facilitators to adopt in Georgia?
A: As of September of 2018, Georgia has outlawed advertising and facilitators. It is best to work with a licensed adoption agency or local attorney. They can best (and legally) help you to get the word out about possible adoptions.
Q: Are there other ways to connect with people and let them know I am placing a child for adoption or want to adopt?
A: Other than simply telling everyone you know about your adoption intentions (though you do not have to disregard this idea, plenty of adoption connections are made just by talking to people), you can also create a profile on adoption.com. There are both Expectant Parent Profiles and Hopeful Adoptive Parent Profiles. The first is for people who are considering placing their child for adoption, while the second is for people who want to adopt. These are web pages similar to personal blogs that you can customize with your adoptive information. Then, others in the adoption community can see it and contact you if they are interested, or you can contact them. You should communicate about this with the agency you are working with.
Q: How much of a say does the father get in the adoption?
A: If the father is legally the child’s father and has been present and supportive, then of course the parents will both share equal responsibility. However, we know that sometimes this is not the case. A man who wants to have his paternity acknowledged may register with Georgia’s Putative Father Registry. This registration gives him an obligation to help support the child. It also entitles him to notification of adoption. He may also petition to have legal custody in such needed cases. Whatever the case, the court ultimately has the final decision. Should the biological father signs his consent to a relinquishment form before the child is born, his parental rights are no longer valid in the eyes of the court, and they no longer have to notify him if the child is placed for adoption.
Q: What are the rights of the birth father?
A: The presumed father must meet these requirements to have rights: he has legally adopted the child; he was married to the child’s mother when the child was conceived or born; the court rules him as the father; or if his rights to the child have not been terminated. If the father cannot be found within 30 days of public announcements to find him, his parental rights are seen as “voluntarily relinquished”.
Q: What if a birth mother relinquishes their child but changes her mind?
A: Birth mothers have a 10-day window where they can revoke their decision for any reason. It is important to recognize that this means your written notice must be in the Department of Human Resources’ hands before the 10 days are up.
Other FAQ’s about the legalities and process of adoption in Georgia can be answered through a simple internet search. For a more personal, first-hand look into adopting in Georgia, you can read this Georgia Adoption Guide.
