Sharon Kaufman - Female - United States - Maryland

A homestudy is required for all adoptions, whether private or agency-assisted. As far as classes, you will need to check with your state; each state has its own adoption requirements. As yo...

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Sharon Kaufman

Sharon Kaufman posted on Eric Meury's wall. March 19, 2017 11:22 am

Eric, the biggest thing you will face is a homestudy social worker's concern about keeping a child safe, surrounded by water. Drowning is a major cause of death in babies and children. Babies can dr...

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Sharon Kaufman

Sharon Kaufman posted on Debbie Campbell's wall. February 18, 2017 10:33 pm

The primary reason for an adult adoption is that the adult in question is unable to live independently because of physical, cognitive, or emotional special needs. Often, parents of an adult with a c...

The primary reason for an adult adoption is that the adult in question is unable to live independently because of physical, cognitive, or emotional special needs. Often, parents of an adult with a condition such as Down's syndrome will care for him/her as long as they can do so, but when they become too old or ill or disabled to provide care, they make an adoption plan for their adult child, so that he/she will not need to go into institutional care, but can continue to live in a loving and supportive family.

Once in a while, adult adoption occurs in stepparent situations. As an example, suppose that a widow with three children, one of whom is in her 20s, remarries. The new husband adopts the minor children, so that he will have the same parental rights as his wife. He does not need to adopt the adult child, who is on her own, earning a living, and so on, but he is concerned that she will feel left out and not a part of the family if he does not. The court will usually approve such adoptions.

Adoption is NOT generally used in the case of young adults, quite capable of living on their own, who are simply lonely or who want financial support. Most often, these young people find adult role models, mentors, and friends through organizations, such as houses of worship, social service providers, schools, and so on. Young adults are advised to be careful when responding to people who offer to take them in, as these people have not gone through the homestudy process required in adoption, and may have ulterior motives. Unfortunately, there are people who tell vulnerable teens and young adults that they are "the only people who will love them", but who turn out to be involved in the sex trade, and simply want to enslave or prostitute them.

Advertising the desire to be adopted in a public forum, such as on an Internet site, can lead to some very unsavory people contacting you, so be careful. Teens and young adults who post such requests often seem vulnerable and excellent targets for such individuals.

Sharon

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Sharon Kaufman

Sharon Kaufman posted on Lexi Lewis's wall. January 9, 2017 6:56 am

I'm not sure why you are reluctant to give out this information. It's publicly available. It is possible that the couple was asked to write an autobiography as part of the application process, and t...

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Sharon Kaufman

Sharon Kaufman posted on Tara Barnett's wall. December 22, 2016 5:22 am

Tara, what you and your friend are trying to do is illegal.

First off, your friend has committed visa fraud, a federal crime. Under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, it is illegal for a woman ...

Tara, what you and your friend are trying to do is illegal.

First off, your friend has committed visa fraud, a federal crime. Under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, it is illegal for a woman to bring a baby to the U.S. on a tourist or other temporary visa for the purpose of placing him/her for adoption. It is viewed as an attempt to circumvent legal adoption processes. If the U.S. finds out about your friend's actions, she could be arrested and eventually deported, permanently barred from entering this country again. If there is evidence that you were complicit in the woman's actionsj, you, too, could be charged with visa fraud, in that you attempted to circumvent a legal process designed to protect children, their birthparents, and their adoptive families.

Second, a child must be adopted under the laws of his/her country of citizenship. Your friend's child is a citizen of the Philippines. Both the Philippines and the U.S. have ratified the Hague Convention on international adoption, which means that, to bring a child to the U.S., the prospective parent -- namely, you -- must have completed a Hague adoption. You would have had to have a homestudy by a provider in your state, obtain preliminary approval to adopt from the USCIS, go through the Hague adoption process in the Philippines, obtain a Hague visa from the U.S. for the child, and bring her home. While some countries, usually non-Hague, permit a family to bring a child to the U.S. under a decree of guardianship, for adoption in the U.S., that is NOT the case with the Philippines.

By the way, these laws apply, even if the prospective adoptive parent is related to the child, so even if your friend was actually your sister, you would still have to do a Hague adoption. Also, if your friend leaves the U.S. without her baby, you will not have a way to adopt the child or give her U.S. citizenship. If the child stays with you, she will need such items as a state-issued birth certificate, a decree of adoption, and proof of citizenship for such purposes as enrolling in schools, applying for scholarships, getting a job, getting a Social Security number, and so on. And if your child manages to stay with you until age 18, and tries to get such documentation, he/she could be detained and deported back to the Philippines, a country he/she may never have been in since infancy.

Your friend should bring her baby back to the Philippines immediately. Then, she should go through with the Philippines process for legally relinquishing her baby for adoption, and you should begin the Hague adoption process if you wish to adopt the child. Be aware that, in most cases, Hague compliant countries usually attempt to find a domestic home for a child before allowing him/her to be adopted internationally. Also be aware that the USCIS has rules regarding who may immigrate to the U.S. In addition, every American adopting overseas, whether or not he/she is adopting from a Hague country, MUST use a Hague-accredited adoption agency as primary provider, even if he/she has identified a child or done various steps in the adoption process himself/herself.

If you wish to see if there are any legal ways to keep the child in the U.S., you should contact a reputable adoption/immigration attorney. You can find one by going to the website of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (Quad A) and going to the state-by-state listings. An initial consultation is usually free or cheap. However, I must tell you that I don't see any way that you will be able to do what you propose, without violating the laws of the U.S. and the Philippines.

Sharon

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Sharon Kaufman

Sharon Kaufman posted on Juli Hawley's wall. December 2, 2016 5:17 pm

Juli:

This man is trying his best to write in English, when it is not his first language. He probably doesn't know that "project" has the connotation of a temporary activity. And anyway, he may be re...

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