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 North Carolina, adoption is governed by state statutes that outline the legal process by which an individual or a couple becomes the legal parent(s) of a child. This process involves terminating the parental rights of the child's biological parents and transferring those rights to the adoptive parents. The North Carolina General Statutes (N.C.G.S.) Chapter 48, titled 'Adoptions,' provides the framework for adoption proceedings, including who may adopt, consent requirements, procedures for filing an adoption petition, and the rights of all parties involved. The process is overseen by the courts to ensure the best interests of the child are served. The adoptive parents assume all legal responsibilities for the child, including their health, safety, well-being, and financial support. The adoption is finalized with a decree of adoption, after which the adoptive parents have the same rights and responsibilities as if the child were born to them biologically.