Adoption is the legal process in which a person assumes responsibility for the health, safety, well-being, and financial support of another person—usually a child—and terminates the rights and responsibilities of the adopted person’s biological parent or parents.
In Maryland, adoption is a legal process that creates a new, permanent parent-child relationship where one did not exist before. The process is governed by Maryland Family Law, specifically Title 5, which outlines the requirements and procedures for adoption. This includes the termination of parental rights of the child's biological parents, which is a necessary step before an adoption can be finalized, unless the child is an adult. The adoptive parents will then assume all legal rights and responsibilities for the child's welfare, including health, safety, and financial support. Maryland law allows for different types of adoption, such as agency adoptions, independent adoptions, and stepparent adoptions, each with its own specific procedures and requirements. Prospective adoptive parents must go through a home study process, and the court must find the adoption to be in the best interests of the child before it can be approved. The process is designed to ensure that the child is placed in a safe, loving, and stable environment.