According to the National Adoption Clearinghouse, more than 120,000 children are adopted in the United States each year. This almanac sets forth the various types and circumstances of adoption, the adoption process, and the state and federal laws governing adoption. Consent requirements and the rights of putative fathers are also examined, and the pros and cons of open adoptions-i.e., where contact with the birth family is maintained-are explored. This almanac also discusses the costs and tax benefits of adoption, and the availability of adoption assistance for special needs children. Post-adoption considerations, such as access to birth records and inheritance issues are also set forth in this almanac. This almanac also presents an overview of international adoption. The Appendices provide applicable statutes, forms, resource directories, and state summaries for comparison, as well as other pertinent information and data. The Glossary contains definitions of many of the terms used throughout the almanac.

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Authored by one of the nation's leading adoption attorneys, ADOPTING IN AMERICA is the ultimate "how to" book for anyone thinking of adopting. Written in a clear style, it details every type of adoption. This includes not just the standard types (domestic independent, agency and international) covered in other books, but a total of 14 subtypes, including little-known options like non-resident adoption, permitted in 26 states. (These states allow adoptive parents from other states to complete their adoption in their state even though the adoptive parents don't live there, if the minor is born there. This gives adoptive parents greater flexibility to complete their adoption in a state with more favorable adoption laws, procedures and options than their home state.) Particular attention is given to the adoption desired by most adoptive parents: a healthy newborn, including how to network for, and be selected by, a birth mother. The book also includes: Special strategies for success in adopting quickly (particularly when seeking a newborn adoption) known only to top adoption attorneys; a review of key legal issues and how to navigate them safely; how to spot red flags to a risky adoption; how to select the best adoption agency or attorney; how to obtain free medical benefits for the baby; the federal adoption tax credit of $12,650; a review of each state's unique adoption laws, with biographies of each state's members of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (over 300 nationally). There are also sample photo-resume letters and networking cover letters. Includes detailed appendices and index.

California Adoption Law and Procedure explains the law governing contested adoptions. It covers the four types of adoptions (independent, agency, stepparent and intercountry), and briefly discusses those aspects of guardianship and juvenile dependency law which relate to adoptions. This book explores the "best interests of the child" and the home study process. It also seeks to explain "consent," whose consent must be obtained, and whether consent may be revoked. The book further describes the roles of attorneys, adoption service providers, adoption facilitators, adoption agencies and governmental agencies. It seeks to clarify the rights of the adoptive parents, the child, and of third parties, whether or not a Postadoption Contact Agreement is in place. This text discusses interstate conflicts and how laws such as the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act operate. It also covers the new federal statutes and regulations which implement the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption. Prof. Everett L. Skillman is a member of the adjunct faculty at the University of San Diego School of Law. He and his wife Shelley were foster parents for three years and adoptive parents for 12 years after that. At seminars conducted by social services agencies and private agencies, Prof. Skillman had the good fortune of meeting many wonderful, committed fellow foster parents, and learning how they overcame a wide variety of challenges. Prof. Skillman has been licensed to practice law since 1990; he has taught several courses on Adoption Law; he has helped many others complete their adoptions; and he has been certified since 2000 by the California State Bar as a specialist in appellate law.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1876.