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 Nebraska, adoption is a legal process governed by state statutes, specifically the Nebraska Revised Statutes. The process allows an individual or a couple to assume full legal responsibility for a child. When an adoption is finalized, the adoptive parents gain all the legal rights and responsibilities of a biological parent, and the rights and responsibilities of the biological parents are terminated. The process includes several steps such as a home study, background checks, and potentially court hearings. The adoption must be approved by a court, which will consider the best interests of the child before finalizing the adoption. Nebraska law also includes provisions for different types of adoption, including agency adoptions, private adoptions, international adoptions, and stepparent adoptions. Each type of adoption may have specific requirements and procedures that must be followed.