In many families, grandparents are the favorite and most trusted caregivers for their grandchildren. Parents often prefer to have their children cared for by grandparents instead of by a nanny, babysitter, or day care provider. When parents are unable to care for their children for whatever reason, grandparents are often the first people to step up to the plate and take over the responsibility of providing full time care to their grandchildren. Grandparents often provide care for their grandchildren when their parents become ill, have economic difficulties which affect their ability to support their child, abuse drugs or alcohol, or neglect their children.
Many times, when a child is being raised by a grandparent, the situation arises without any formal legal proceeding. Unfortunately for the grandparents, they may encounter difficulties in stepping into a parental role without the legal status of a parent. Three common issues that grandparents have in caring for their grandchildren when they have not legally adopted them are obtaining medical care for the children, accessing state benefits programs which could provide them with resources to help them provide for the children, and enrolling the children in school. In situations where the child’s birth parent is trying to interfere with or is having a negative influence upon the grandparent’s efforts to raise their grandchild in a stable, safe, and supportive home, adoption can enable the grandparents to limit or prohibit contact between the child and their birth parents.
Fortunately, grandparents are among a special group of people who may petition the court for a kinship adoption. Kinship adoptions follow a unique process which is different than the regular adoption process, because kin, or family, are viewed as preferable caregivers for children as compared to other adults who are not part of a child’s family. Kinship adoptions are also often less expensive than traditional adoptions, and grandparents who adopt are often eligible for a tax credit in order to recover some of their expenses.
The kinship adoption process begins when the grandparents petition the court for adoption of their grandchildren. In some cases, children are adopted by their grandparents when their parents consent to the adoption by relinquishing their own parental rights voluntarily. As you might imagine, these cases progress fairly quickly and with few complications. Grandparents may also adopt in situations where the parents’ rights are terminated involuntarily, or where the children are found to have abandoned their child. In these cases, the petition for adoption may move forward even if the parents object to the adoption.
Adoption can be an emotionally trying process, but the reward of welcoming your grandchild into your home can make it well worth the wait. As you work through the adoption process, your Kansas Adoption Attorney will be by your side, advocating for your best interest throughout the adoption process. Kansas Adoption Attorney Thomas McDowell has helped many families through the adoption process, and he would welcome the opportunity to help you. Please call (316) 633-4322 today to schedule an initial consultation.