All children in Ohio deserve to have a loving, stable and nurturing environment in which to grow. That is why adopting a child can be one of the most rewarding experiences parents in Ohio can have. However, there is a process potential parents in Ohio must go through in order to adopt a child.
First, parents should take the time to learn about the adoption process. Keep in mind that adoption is a long-term commitment and, if adopting an older child, it could take a while for the child to trust his or her new adoptive parent.
Parents will also need to select an adoption agency. There are public adoption agencies and private adoption agencies. Public agencies often provide parents who want to adopt from the foster care system with services at no cost. However, there may be fees if the parent chooses to adopt a child who is not a foster child. Private agencies generally charge fees for their services.
After an agency is selected, parents will need to submit an application to adopt a child. Parents wishing to adopt may also need to go to some educational courses. Following that, a home study will be performed. This is done to make sure the potential parents are good candidates to adopt a child. While sometimes a home study is performed at no cost, it could be more expensive, especially in the case of international adoptions.
Adoptive parents will also work with a social worker with regards to placing a child in their care. It is important that the parents and child are a good match for one another. Once a child is found, the parents will have a chance to visit with the child. This helps both the parents and the child get to know about each other.
Following that, the child will be able to reside in the parent’s home, and the parents will be responsible for the child. The caseworker will continue to check in on the parents, to ensure things are running smoothly. After six months has passed, the adoption can be finalized in court.
Adoption may be based on love, but it is a legal process and rules must be followed. For this reason, individuals in Ohio who want to adopt a child may want to pursue legal advice before proceeding.
Source: The Ohio Adoption Photolisting Website, “Steps To Adopting A Child In Ohio,” Accessed Aug. 20, 2017