For Houston residents wishing to adopt a child or to place a child up for adoption, the number of choices and challenges can seem overwhelming at times. Individual circumstances can vary greatly, making no two adoption cases alike. A stepparent adoption is naturally very different from an international adoption, for example. Additionally, whether or not you are a prospective adoptive parent or a birth parent will have a tremendous impact on your areas of concern in the process.
In the ideal world, an adoption is consented to by both birth and adoptive parents. The reality, however, is not always the case, even in today’s society. Historically, babies or young children were also taken from their biological mothers or fathers without proper consent. The current Hollywood movie, Philomena details the story of one such situation in which a then three-year old little boy was taken from his unmarried teenage mother in Ireland and sold to an adoptive family. Decades later, the two were reunited.
With the popularity of the movie, a U.S. Senator is pushing for Congress to more actively encourage the government of Ireland to open adoption records to facilitate birth children and mothers once again finding each other if they so desire. The Senator is requesting efforts when the next Irish Ambassador is confirmed or via a Congressional resolution.
These efforts highlight even further the level of complexity that can be part of any adoption situation. Working with a private attorney when involved in any adoption may be a good idea so that you can understand the laws most fully.
Source: Huffington Post, “Philomena Lee, U.S. Senator Push Adoption Rights In The Wake Of Oscar-Nominated Film,” January 30, 2014