Appendix A. Adoptive Family Filings

• Author: Jeffrey Kasky; Robert Andrew Kasky
• Pages: 93-94

93

APPENDIX

A

Adoptive Family Filings

The documents which are typically filed in court for the prospective adoptive family are (i) the home study

which must comply with state law; (ii) any agreement entered into between the family and the agency or

attorney which lists, among other things, the willingness of the family to care for an adopted child, the

projected fees and expenses associated with the adoption, the rights, duties, and responsibilities as well

as the obligations of each party to the other as well as what happens if one party fails to comply with the

contractual provisions; and (iii) the postplacement reports prepared by a licensed social worker after the

child is placed in the prospective adoptive family’s home but before the final hearing on the adoption.

The home study was already described in some detail elsewhere in this book.

As to the agreement between the family and the agency, while each agency or attorney has a different

format for engaging with the prospective adoptive family, it is likely that such agreements include the fol-

lowing provisions in one form or another:

• That the agency, attorney, or social worker on the case expresses confidence in the family’s ability

to meet the social, familial, medical, and financial needs of a child

• That the family is willing and able to cooperate with the adoption process

• That the family’s expectations regarding the adoption process are realistic and reflect the positives

and negatives which are possible

• That the family is willing to assume the risks associated with the adoption process

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