If you and your spouse want to grow your family and are considering adoption in Georgia, you have already taken the first step into the process.
To help you both prepare for the formal adoption of your new potential child, here is an essential guide about the state’s adoption system:
What are the criteria for adopting a child in Georgia?
Georgia adoption laws require a strict and thorough assessment of prospective adoptive parent/s. To be eligible, you and your spouse must be:
- A resident of Georgia for at least six months
- If married, at least 10 years older than the child
- Be financially and mentally capable of caring for a child permanently
- Submit a medical records evaluation
- Pass a criminal record and drug screen check
Being physically well can also help show your ability to provide a loving and stable environment to the potential child that you are soon going to welcome into your home.
What happens during the adoption process?
During the adoption process, you and your spouse will attend a pre-service training program. This program is designed by the Division of Family and Children Services to help prospective parents gain valuable skills and knowledge about adoptive care, prior to being placed with their potential child or children.
After the training program, a social worker will visit your home to perform a comprehensive study that evaluates you and your spouse’s eligibility for adoption.
If you pass this step, the agency will match you with a child. During this process, you and your spouse can review the child’s information and agree (or disagree) about the possibility of the proposed match.
If you both agree to the proposed match, you and your family will meet the child and begin to spend time with them before signing an “adoption placement agreement.”
Welcome to your new chapter
As a final step in your adoption journey, you will need guidance from a family law attorney who can help complete the legal process with you. During this procedure, they will reach out to the child’s birth parents and obtain consent from them.
In this formal meeting, they will agree to terminate their parental rights as the child’s birth parents and finalize the adoption process in court.
