Every child deserves a safe home full of people who care about him or her. For many children, adoption is their best hope of finding a loving home. The decision to adopt a child can be one of the most consequential choices a person ever makes. It is important to remember that adopting a child is also a major legal decision. Before you start the adoption process, it is essential to know the law in Illinois regarding adoption.

Who Can Adopt?

If you want to adopt a child, you should know about the adoption requirements established by Illinois law. To adopt in Illinois, you must:

• Be an adult over the age of 18

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Deciding to adopt a child can be one of the most rewarding choices of your life. Adoption can change the future of the adopted child as well as yours. According to recent statistics, there are over 100,000 kids waiting to be adopted in the United States, and more than 400,000 children are in foster care. However, it is important to note that adoption requires more than just welcoming a child into your home and lots of paperwork. Below are some practical tips to help you prepare mentally for expanding your family through adoption. 

Consider the Responsibility

Make sure you are on the same page as your partner. Adopting a child can be a long and taxing process that will require much work from both of you. If one of you is having doubts, or if your heart is not in the process, then things between the two of you may become difficult and lead to arguments. Make sure adoption is something you both want before taking this monumental step.

An adoption is a beautiful chance for a family to raise a child, and for a child in need to have loving and caring parents. In many cases, however, the adoption process can be tedious and complicated, and in order to ensure that the process is completed smoothly and effectively, it is essential to work with an experienced family law attorney.

Addressing Adoption Issues

Here in the state of Illinois, there are four main types of adoption: agency adoptions, private adoptions, international adoptions, and relative adoptions. In all of these adoption options, it is critical to have an experienced legal professional representing your family’s best interests. Some of the issues that may become involved in different types of adoptions include:

• Agency Adoptions: An agency adoption is a process that is facilitated by a public or private organization. In many cases, these adoptions go through a private adoption agency. If you are adopting a foster child in the state of Illinois, the adoption will go through the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). In private agency adoptions, it is not entirely uncommon for agencies to act in a corrupt or fraudulent manner. A legal professional can ensure that no unlawful conduct takes place. 
• Private Adoptions: In a private adoption, a biological parent and the adopting family work together directly to finalize the adoption. Due to the fact that no outside organizations are overseeing the adoption process, the importance of an attorney cannot be understated in these cases. When adopting, one of the most common concerns is the health history of the biological parents. An attorney can assist you in securing the medical history of the biological parents and determining how that may impact your child’s life moving forward. 
• International Adoptions: In an international adoption, a family adopts a child from outside of the United States. In many cases, international adoptions can be difficult to finalize, and they can become incredibly costly. Communication with an international adoption agency can be challenging, considering the distance and potential language barrier. In some countries, adoption agencies are not required to be licensed, and adoptive parents may be more susceptible to financial exploitation. A family law professional can offer you helpful tips in the adoption process, beginning with never offering an adoption agency money up front. 
• Relative Adoptions: A relative adoption is a process in which a person adopts the child of a family member. While a relative adoption can initially be more straightforward due to the prior connection with the biological parent, there can be some challenges. In a relative adoption, a biological parent may attempt to maintain a significant role in the child’s life. In most cases, this can be a good thing, but in other cases, it can lead to hostility, as well as confusion for the child. Speak with your attorney regarding the benefits and drawbacks of a relative adoption. 

Contact a Wheaton Adoption Lawyer 

If you are interested in adopting a child, the first step you should take is hiring a lawyer that you can believe in. At the Stogsdill Law Firm, P.C., we have assisted dozens of families in finalizing their adoptions. With over a decade of family law experience in the state of Illinois, we are confident in our ability to assist you in a seamless and efficient adoption process. To schedule an initial meeting with a quality DuPage County family law attorney, contact us today at 630-462-9500. 

For thousands of American couples, adoption offers the opportunity to complete their family unit. Adoption represents a beautiful decision for a couple looking for a child, and a child in need of loving parents. According to studies conducted by the National Survey of Adoptive Parents (NSAP), more than 600,000 children in foster homes throughout the United States are adopted by permanent custody parents each year. Making the decision to adopt represents a truly life-changing decision for all parties involved. If you and your family, are contemplating adopting, it may be time to contact a family law attorney to assist you with some of the complex legal proceedings involved in every adoption.

Common Adoption Misconceptions

When making the decision to adopt, prospective parents are posed with a number of important questions, but they may also be presented with common misconceptions about adoption. 

My Adopted Child Won’t Love Me: When contemplating adoption, many parents wonder whether or not their adopted child will love them as if they were their birth parents. This notion is a common adoption misconception; in all reality, the vast majority of adopted children have a wonderful relationship with their adopted parents. In fact, according to the NSAP, approximately 90% of children over age 5 have positive feelings about their adoption. Children simply need a home and loving parents.

For children in unstable situations, adoption represents a second chance at a healthy upbringing. Thousands of children throughout the United States face negligent or abusive parents, and even once they are brought into the US Foster Care System, they routinely face a revolving door of foster homes and an inability to become comfortable in a normal living situation. According to Children’s Rights, an organization that illuminates some of the hardships that children in foster care face, in 2016 alone, approximately 687,000 children throughout the United States spent time in foster care. In most cases, children remain in foster care for an average of two years, but just under 10% of all children in foster care reside within the system for an astonishing five years.

Fortunately, an incredible 135,000 American children are adopted each year. Adoption can provide children in need with a stable living situation, a nutritious diet, and most importantly, parents that love and support them. According to the Adoption Center, roughly 1 in every 3 American couples have considered adoption. If you believe that adopting a child is the right choice for you and your family, it is time to consider speaking with a trained family law professional.

Adoption Law in Illinois

Here in the state of Illinois, there are four primary types of adoption that are legally sanctioned under the Illinois Adoption Act: international adoptions, agency adoptions, private adoptions, and related adoptions. International adoptions are defined as adoptions involving a child currently residing in another country. Agency adoptions are routinely the easiest to navigate legally because they are adoptions involving a private adoption agency or they are facilitated by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Private adoptions occur when a set of biological parents relinquish their rights as parents and place their child in the custody of adoptive parents. Lastly, related adoptions occur when a family member adopts a child of another family member.