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Child custody

adoption

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 Pennsylvania, adoption is governed by the Adoption Act (23 Pa.C.S. §§ 2101–2938). The process legally transfers all rights and responsibilities from the biological parent(s) to the adoptive parent(s). To adopt a child, prospective parents must go through a series of legal steps, including obtaining consent from the biological parents (unless their rights have been terminated for cause), completing a home study, and receiving approval from a court. The court will consider the best interests of the child in its decision. After the adoption is finalized, the adoptive parents have the same legal rights and responsibilities as if the child were born to them, and the child gains inheritance rights and the legal right to be supported and cared for by the adoptive parents. The process ensures that the child's health, safety, and well-being are protected, and it provides the child with a permanent family when the biological parents are unable or unwilling to provide care.

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Child custody

adoption

Individual & Family Legal Plan

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Pennsylvania State Code

Pennsylvania State Code

Child custody

adoption

Articles