Complete Your Family with Relative Adoption

Often times when a parent is unable to properly care for their child, a relative will step in to parent him or her. Whether they’re taking in a grandchild, niece, nephew, cousin or sibling, he or she will provide the child with a safe, loving home. In every way, this relative will be the child’s parents, which is why it is important to formalize these relationships through relative adoption.

Making the decision to adopt a family member may be the next big step in completing your family.  This type of adoption is often referred to as a kinship adoption, and it is a wonderful option for many families.

If you are currently parenting a young relative in your home and would like to pursue a relative adoption, Brown Pruitt can help.

Benefits of Relative Adoption

There are many reasons why a child may be placed with a relative, including the biological parents being incarcerated, deemed unfit or deceased. Whatever the reason, the relative has stepped into the parent role for the child and thus, should be awarded the rights and responsibilities of a parent.

Adopting a family member that you are raising can help to simplify everyday tasks like taking the child to the doctor, as well as life planning tasks like providing the child with insurance.

Below are a few of the many benefits of kinship adoption:

  • Legal Recognition: Being recognized as the child’s legal parent affords you the right to make medical decisions for him or her, making doctor visits much simpler. It will also allow you to enroll him or her into school without your relationship being put into question.
  • Financial Benefits: A child who is adopted by his or her family member may also receive financial benefits, such as inheritance and insurance. Stability: Perhaps one of the most significant benefits of relative adoption is that of stability. Completing a formal adoption can give the entire family a sense of permanency and security. It is also a wonderfully emotional experience for a child and their custodial parent to be “officially” bonded as a forever family.

How to Adopt a Family Member in Texas

For those wishing to pursue a kinship adoption, Brown Pruitt can help you legally adopt your family member through the following steps:

1. Termination of Parental Rights
2. Complete Home Study
3. Child Consent
4. Court Hearing

*Please keep in mind that these are the steps necessary to adopt a child who has already been born and has been living with the adopting parents for some time. If you wish to adopt an unborn family member, please visit our How to Adopt a Baby in Texas page.

Relative adoption is a great way to complete your family and provide a strong sense of permanence and stability. Having an experienced law firm like Brown Pruitt by your side will ensure that the adoption is completed soundly and that all Texas laws have been followed along the way.

If you are interested in pursuing a kinship adoption, please contact Brown Pruitt today to get started or to receive free information.