Re-adoption is primarily a concept associated with international adoption. When we did our international adoption, and I felt we had spent all we could possibly spend, it was then we were hit with the concept of re-adoption.
We adopted our daughter from Bulgaria, it was legal, and it was complete, so what exactly did re-adopting her in the United States mean? It is just that: the process of adopting your child again in the States so that there are never any issues with the country of adoption nor any in the U.S. regarding the child’s legality and anything else that may come up.
It also allows for your child to obtain a new birth certificate in the home state of the parents. In our case, she received a perfectly valid birth certificate filed with the State of Georgia just the same as if she had been born there. Lastly, re-adoption helps school paperwork go much more smoothly and helps the process of the child becoming a U.S. citizen easier. (No, the birth certificate does not grant automatic citizenship. We adopted our daughter at the age of 2, and she only recently became a citizen at 14.) So, in summary, while re-adoption is an extra step and involves a little more money (just when you think you can’t possibility have to spend anymore!), it’s well worth the time and effort!
