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A document from the State of California confirming the child’s availability for adoption.
A person who joins a family through adoption.
A permanent, legally binding arrangement whereby persons other than the birthparents parent the child.
An organization that is licensed to prepare families to adopt children and to do all the necessary legal, administrative and social work to ensure that adoptions are efficiently handled and are in the best interest of the children.
A financial assistance program established by the Federal and State governments to help those families with some of the long-term expenses when they adopt children who qualify.
Social workers who put together a list of adoptive families approved to adopt and a list of children available for adoption. If there is a match, the social worker provides the information to the child’s social worker for a possible placement.
A person or persons who become the permanent parent with all the social, legal rights and responsibilities incumbent upon any parent.
The document issued, after a child has been adopted, reflecting the adoptive parents as the child’s parents
A social worker assigned to complete the applicant’s homestudy.
A certified document, which indicates the birth information of a person including mother’s and father’s name and the name given to the child at the time of birth.
The parents responsible for giving birth to a child.
A method of checking to see if a person has a history of child abuse. This is completed as part of the approval process for prospective adoptive parents.
The social worker assigned to the child who finds a suitable adoptive family for the child.
An adoption where there is no contact between birth parents and adoptive parents.
An approved/licensed home/family accepts placement of a child they intend to adopt as a foster child until parental rights are terminated. When the child becomes legally free for adoption, the family may eventually adopt the child.
Protection of one’s personal identifying information. Adoption agencies may not disclose identifying information about any client to any other source except in special circumstances as described in licensing regulations.
A legal document issued by the adoption agency allowing the adoptive family to finalize the adoption after all agency and legal requirements have been met. The Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) may not be granted without this consent.
Similar to the child abuse clearances, this is a clearance through the State Police Department to determine if a person has a criminal record. In adoptions all adults (18 yrs +) living in a household must obtain criminal and child abuse clearances prior to a child being placed in a home.
Terminating jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court on a dependent child.
A child leaves the adoptive home prior to the finalization of the adoption. This can occur due to: the adoptive parents choose to return the child for reasons of their own or the agency disrupts the adoption if the adoptive parents are not complying with post placement requirements or are endangering the child in any way.
The document issued by the court upon finalization of an adoption stating that the adoptee is the legal child of the adoptive parents.
The court hearing which results in the adoption decree. This is the moment when the adoptee becomes the permanent, legal child of the adoptive parents. In California, the child needs to have resided with the adoptive parents for at least six months and with no appeal pending in court.
A child being cared for by foster parents.
A person who has been approved through a screening, licensing and training process to provide foster care services for a child.
A three-part process required before a child can be placed with a family for foster care or adoption.
- Written portion includes autobiographies, references, medical reports for each applicant and other adults living in the home, marriage records, financial statements, certified copies of birth certificates for each applicant and their children, citizenship or legal residence papers, veterans discharge info., and child abuse and criminal clearances and other written materials;
- Social work process includes a series of interviews in-office and in the applicant’s home to discuss a variety of issues from the applicant’s background to their motivation to adopt and their understanding of adoption and parenting;
- Educational process includes training in adoption and parenting issues. The end result of this process is a written document completed by a licensed agency giving a summary of the applicant’s family life. This document indicates approval of the applicant for adoption (or foster care). It must be updated as needed.
A petition filed by the Adoptive parents to adopt a child who is a dependent of the Orange County Juvenile Court without the services of an attorney.
An agreement signed by the adoptive parents and the Social Services Agency that the adoptive parents are eligible to be reimbursed up to a maximum of $400.00 per child for adoption related expenses after finalization of the adoption. The reimbursement will be issued upon verification of payment of expenses provided that:
- This agreement is completed prior to the final decree of adoption
- And a claim of payment, including proof of payment, is provided to the Agency within two years of the final decree of adoption.
A brief legal document which gives identifying information about the adoptive parents and the child to be adopted. This is filed with the court to initiate adoption proceedings.
The giving-up of custodial and legal rights to a child by a birth parent.
In terms of adoption, this includes a child who meets one or more of the following criteria:
- A child with a specific physical, medical, mental or emotional handicapping condition.
- An "older child", usually over age 5
- Siblings (2 or more children) who must be placed together.
However, all dependent children are considered "special needs children."
A process involving a court hearing whereby a judge enters a decree permanently ending all legal parental rights of a birth parent to a child. This must occur before a child is considered "legally free" for adoption. In Orange County, there is a 60-day appeal period after this hearing takes place
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Adoption
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