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Can anyone tell me how this works. To boil it down, there is a 5 year old little girl who was adopted by her maternal grandmother at birth and the birth mother has had no interaction. Suffice to say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and the grandmother has bolted leaving the little girl with her 70 year old great grandmother. The great grandmother, who is my great aunt has asked my husband and I to take the child and adopt her. I had always heard that once adopted, it can't be undone. Is this true? Can a child be readopted? I am scared to take her if it can't be done. I don't want to raise this little girl, only to have the grandmother come back around 5 years from now and want her back. Can anyone help?
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Youre right, once an adoption has been finalized, it canҒt be undone, but that has no affect on a second (or third) adoption.
Whoever has legal custody of the child (the people listed on her birth certificate as mom and dad) will have to terminate their parental rights. Once that is done, you can pursue the adoption.
Does grandma have legal custody, was there an actual adoption, or was it a guardianship?
What its going to boil down to is you hiring an adoption attorney, completing the homestudy (if its required in your state for a family placement), terminating the rights of the legal parents (whoever that might be), and then you adopt.
The fact that the child has been adopted once before will have little, if any, bearing on the current adoption.
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As Brandy said, adoptions cannot be "undone." But parents can always relinquish their rights. So yes, a child that was once adopted can be adopted again.
If you pursue this, you should probably look into what psychological issues this little girl has/could have. Sounds like her life has been pretty unstable. She could be a candidate for RAD. Or simply insecurity issues.
Is she getting any child therapy?
Good luck!
Thank you both very much. I have just this morning contacted an attorney and have a meeting with him this afternoon. And yes, the great grandmother immediately put the little girl in counseling, I also have a meeting scheduled with him to discuss issues and continuation of services. Thanks for your help, and wish me luck!!!
Take it from someone who works with foster children, some of whom are in care due to a failed adoption, this happens all the time!
It works the same as if the grandmother was the natural mother. She has to relinquish her rights or have her rights terminated, and then the child is legally free for adoption...even for the second or third time around.
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