Adoption is a wonderful choice for many families. Our firm handles adoptions ranging from newborns to adults, including adoptions by family members. Before a child is available for adoption, the parental rights of the biological parents need to be terminated. This can either be done through a voluntary consent or through the Court forcibly terminating their rights. Once these rights are terminated, the prospective adoptive parent or parents may proceed with the adoption. Missouri law is very specific as to what is required throughout the adoption process.
Adoptions can be done through the private sector or through the state foster care system. Our firm handles both. Private adoptions are often for newborn babies where the person being adopted has already been identified by the prospective adoptive parent. They can also include things like stepparent adoptions, grandparent adoptions or adult adoptions. Alternatively, if a family is adopting through the state foster system, they would be adopting a child that is currently in the custody of the state. There are hundreds of children within the foster care system that are waiting for their forever home. Every child needs and deserves a parent!
We walk our clients through the process to ensure that nothing is overlooked and that each family has a positive experience. We look forward to being able to help complete your family!