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 Tennessee, adoption is governed by Title 36 of the Tennessee Code, which outlines the legal process for adopting a child. This process involves terminating the parental rights of the child's biological parents and establishing a new, permanent legal relationship between the adoptive parents and the child. The adoptive parents assume all responsibilities for the child's welfare, including health, safety, and financial support. To adopt a child in Tennessee, prospective adoptive parents must go through a home study process, meet certain eligibility criteria, and obtain approval from the court. The process is designed to ensure the best interests of the child are served. The adoption can be facilitated through various means, including private adoption, agency adoption, or through the foster care system if the child is a ward of the state. Once the adoption is finalized by a court order, the adoptive parents have the same rights and responsibilities as if the child were born to them biologically.