A Tennessee resident may be able to become a parent even if that person didn’t have a role in creating a child. The adoption process allows individuals throughout the country the opportunity to provide a permanent home to a young person who needs one. Adoptions can occur privately, through an agency or after a child has been fostered by an individual. In most cases, a home visit is the first step toward becoming an adoptive parent.
This check will determine if an individual can provide an environment that is safe and suitable for a child. Whether a prospective parent lives in a home or apartment, it should have enough space for the child to play and will ideally have multiple bedrooms. In addition to looking into where the child will live, an applicant is usually subject to a background check prior to the adoption being approved.
The final step in the process is to have a judge formally approve the adoption. Once this happens, the adoptive parent becomes the legal parent with the rights and responsibilities that come with it. This generally means providing both emotional and financial support to the child. If a divorce occurs, the adoptive parent may be required to pay child support if he or she isn’t granted custody of the child for any reason.
Typically, an adoption application is only approved if going through with it is in the best interests of the child. This generally means that he or she must be given a safe, stable and otherwise suitable environment to grow up in. In most cases, the biological parent must consent to giving up parental rights.
