Advertisements
Our son just came home from Russia in August. We are finally starting to feel settled in! We want to re-adopt him in our state, but I have no idea where we are supposed to start. Who do we contact to do this? What do we need to do? What is the process? Does anyone know approximately how much it costs? Thanks. :)
Like
Share
Congratulations on your new son! We haven't completed our adoption yet so I don't have any first-hand experience, but in researching this topic, I found the following publication very interesting. It all depends on what state you live in and this breaks it down by state. The title page says it's current through May, 2011, so you might want to see if there's a more recent one available.
Last update on July 24, 7:54 am by Sachin Gupta.
Advertisements
Readoption, like domestic adoption, is a state process, and each of the states is different.
Some states -- fortunately decreasing in number -- make readoption almost like a domestic adoption. You need a homestudy update, post-placement visits, and so on. You may find it necessary to use an attorney. And for these reasons, it can be expensive. In other states, readoption is much easier, and you can do it "pro se" (on your own behalf, without an attorney.)
To find out what your state requires, ask your homestudy agency.
If it's clueless, call a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys in your state. You can find a list of those attorneys, with their contact info, on the website of the organization. There shouldn't be any charge just to obtain information.
Often, a member of your local adoption support group will also know the rules for your state.
You can also call your courthouse and find out how to do readoptions. I didn't put that first on my list of recommendations, because it's sometimes hard to find the right person to contact.
Do remember that many states offer an alternative to readoption, called "recognition." These states may actually have both options available, or may use one or the other. Recognition is not a judicial process, like readoption; it involves the state government issuing a document saying that it "recognizes" your foreign adoption as legal. It doesn't afford some of the legal protections of readoption, and may or may not give you access to a state certificate of foreign birth, but in states where readoption is difficult and costly, the recognition option may be more practical. Recognitions are generally cheaper and quicker than readoptions.
Sharon