Alleged Birthfather:
In California, an alleged birthfather is a man who has not fully
established himself as a legal or presumed birthfather. A man
identified by the birthmother as a possible birthfather must
have his rights terminated before the baby is free for adoption.
An alleged birthfathers right's can be terminated by denial,
waiver, or relinquishment. (Most alleged birthfathers sign a
denial or a waiver before the birth of the child.) If a birthfather
is unknown or difficult to find, there are different procedures
to terminate his rights.
Birthparent: The biological parent of a child.
Caseworker: A professional social worker that
completes the adopting parents' homestudy. The caseworker analyzes
the issues surrounding adoption with the adopting parents. The
caseworker counsels birthparents, both prior to and after the
child's birth, and completes the documents that terminate the
birthparent's parental rights. After the child's birth the caseworker
visits with the adoptive parents for post-placement supervision.
Closed Adoption: An adoption is closed when
the adoptive and birthparents have not met, do not plan to have
any contact after the child is placed, and do not share identifying
information. The agency handling the legal paperwork is the intermediary
that knows both the adoptive and birthparents. Every state has
different laws about the release of identifying information.
In California the adoptee must be at least 18 years old and the
birthparents must have signed a release of information at the
time of placement.
CIS: This is short for Citizenship and Immigration
Services (the new name for the INS). Before an international
adoption takes place CIS must approve the homestudy.
"Dear Birthmother" Letter:
A document (also called a brochure or a parent profile) created
by a prospective adoptive family using text and photographs to
shows a picture of the prospective adoptive family's life, hobbies,
and dreams of parenting. When a prospective birthmother is ready
to begin choosing a family for her baby, she will receive these
documents from her adoption agency.
Domestic Adoption: Refers to an adoption when
the adoptive family and the child adopted both reside within
the United States.
Domestic Partner Adoption:
Also known as Stepparent Adoption. This process secures a
second, legal parent for a child and is used when the parents
are legally married, or are registered domestic partners.
Adoption Connection can assist in this relatively fast and
easy process. First, we send the family a few forms to complete
(according to the standards of the California county in which
they reside), meet with them briefly, and then submit a report
to the court. The process provides the adopting parents with
an Adoption Order. In most cases an amended birth certificate
can be ordered listing the partner as the other/second parent.
Dossier: A collection of required documents
presented in support of a petition to adopt a child overseas.
It becomes the foreign country's paper representation of whom
the adopting family is, and it is used to "approve" the
family adopting a child from their country. The specific paperwork
may vary from country to country, but many documents are duplicates
from the homestudy or for the CIS.
Entrustment Ceremony: A ceremony or ritual
celebrating the transfer of parental rights from one family to
another in an open adoption. Most ceremonies will include the
presence of the birthmother and selected family members of her
choosing, along with the adoptive parent(s) and the baby. Poems
or religious passages may be read, or perhaps both the birth
and adoptive parents speak about their mutual hopes and love
for the baby. The ceremony should emphasize that the two families
are now creating a new, extended family connection, which will
forever honor and respect the birthfamilies biological bond to
the child.
Facilitator (adoption): A facilitator can serve
as the entity between birthparents and adopting parents in assisting
the "match." Facilitators do not have specific credentials,
but usually have experience or training in working with birthparents.
Finalization: The court action that legalizes
the adoption. In California this occurs approximately six months
after the child's placement in the adoptive family's home (sooner
if it is a second adoption). The post-placement supervision and
the birthparent's relinquishment paperwork must be completed
before the adoption can be finalized.
Homestudy: A written report required by California
state law for individuals and couples who wish to adopt. The
homestudy serves as an educational tool for adopting parents,
and the information gathered assures that the child will be placed
in a qualified home.
Homestudy Autobiography: Written questions
that a homestudy provider is required by the state to ask a prospective
adoptive family to complete. The autobiographical questions may
ask the adoptive parents to discuss: their family of origin,
their adoption process, and future parenting plans. The answers
help the caseworker get acquainted with the prospective adoptive
family.
ICPC: Stands for Interstate Compact for the
Placement of Children. This is an agreement between all 50 states
establishing procedures for interstate adoption placements. ICPC
must be completed if the child being placed and the adoptive
parents reside in different states. The adoptive parents can
not leave the state where the child was born until ICPC is filed
and the state grants consent to go back to your home state.
International Adoption: Refers to an adoption
of a child born in a foreign country by adoptive parents living
in the United States.
Match: A "match" occurs when a birthmother
(or birthparents) and an adoptive family make a verbal commitment
to work toward an adoption.
Open Adoption: Technically speaking open adoption
means the adoption records are open. The birth and adoptive parents
have agreed to allow access to identified information directly,
or through their agency or adoption professional. "Open" adoption
also may refer to the process of birthparents and adoptive parents
creating a relationship together that is on-going both before
and after once the baby is placed in the adoptive home.
Post-Adoption Agreement (Kinship Agreement):
This is a voluntary and legally binding contact agreement between
birth and adoptive parents. Both parties discuss what type of
contact they want throughout the life of the child: including
letters and pictures, telephone contact, and/or in-person visits.
The written plan that is created must be completed and filed
before the adoption is finalized. Non-compliance with the agreement
would not overturn an adoption, and many families choose a verbal
or written "good faith agreement" instead of a legally
binding agreement.
Post-Placement Supervision: California law
requires that the caseworker meet with the family four times
for post-placement supervision. These visits, designed to ensure
that the family is adjusting well to the baby's arrival, usually
occur within the six months between the child's placement and
the finalization the adoption.
Presumed Birthfather: In California, a presumed
birthfather is married to the birthmother or living with her,
supporting her and "holding the baby out as his own." A
presumed birthfather has the same rights as the birthmother,
and must sign a relinquishment in the same way after the child's
birth.
Private Adoption Agency: This is an organization
licensed by the state to prepare homestudies, complete relinquishment
of birthparents' parental rights, conduct post-placement supervision
and finalize adoptions. Services may also include outreach and
counseling support to adopting parents and birthparents.
Relinquishment: This refers to the legal termination
of birthparents' parental rights. At a relinquishment session,
the birthmother signs relinquishment papers. This generally
occurs within two weeks after the birthmother has been discharged
from the hospital. Once the papers are filed with the Department
of Social Services (DSS) it becomes irrevocable. After signing
most birthmothers in agency adoptions request that the documents
be filed with DSS at the end of the next business day, but
they can be held for longer.
Second Parent Adoption: occurs when the biological
or legal parent of a child or children is in a relationship
with another adult wanting to share parental rights and responsibilities.
In contrast to stepparent adoption/domestic partner adoption
second parent adoption is used only when the parents cannot
marry or become domestic partners. The biological or legal
parent consents to relinquish sole custody of the child so
that his/her partner can become a second, legal parent. For
this to occur a full homestudy is completed by a public agency
usually the Department of Social Services. The process takes
at least six months to complete and often as an attorney is
involved to file the paperwork.
Stepparent Adoption: See Domestic
Partner Adoption.
Transracial Adoption: An adoptive parent(s)
adopting and raising a child of a different race and ethnicity
then their or their partner's race or ethnicity. |
