What are some of the things to keep in mind while taking adoption in Hawaii?

Adopting a child, are you ready for it?

Deciding on adopting a child is no small matter. When it comes to parenting itself, adopting a child is no different from becoming a biological parent. In either case, you have to shoulder the same responsibilities. You have to be sure that you’re ready to become a parent, that you are at that point in your life where you can bring a child into the picture. Needless to mention that you should be financially stable and capable of handling all the responsibilities bringing up a child entails. There’s no denying that parenting is one of the joys of life that can be compared with no other. But it is indeed a huge responsibility and should be treated with utmost sincerity. It is needless to mention that the same holds for adoption in Hawaii.

What are the rules?

Once you’re sure that you’re ready to adopt a child, the next step for you is to learn about the rules and regulations about adopting a child in your area. It would help if you had a clear idea regarding how to go about the whole process. Suppose you’re eligible and rules and regulations for applying and similar other details. You should know that the process of adopting a child involves a lot of intricacies and complexities. Therefore, it is recommended that you seek the assistance of an adoption agency in this regard.

Eligibility criteria at a glance

You should know that the eligibility criteria for adoption change from state to state and from agency to agency. The kind of adoption you’re going for will also determine which rules you’ll have to comply with if you’re eligible at all. For the state of Hawaii, for a single parent to adopt a child, they’ll have to be an adult in the eyes of the law. There are no restrictions for persons from the LGBT community. You do not necessarily need to be a resident of the state to adopt in Hawaii. However, it is recommended that you seek the counsel of someone specializing in adoption when it comes to the state laws for adoption. Any change happening to those laws may alter some of the adoption procedures and eligibility criteria. 

Some FAQs

Now let’s come to some of the frequently asked questions when it comes to adoption. You might be wondering about the criteria you need to fulfill to be able to adopt a child. The answer to this varies on several factors. While there are specific criteria that remain the same in all the cases, certain conditions vary from case to case. You need to get in touch with an agency to know which conditions apply in your case. 

Although you can become a single parent in the case of Hawaii, provided you’re an adult, there are individual states that require you to be married for a period of at least two to three years.

How old do I need to be?

Whether you’re old enough to adopt a child or not varies a lot from state to state. You’ll find that you’re required to be at least 18 years old to adopt a child in seven states. In the case of Oklahoma, Colorado, and Delaware, both you and your partner have to be at least 21 years old. In two states, namely, Georgia and Idaho, the parents have to be 25 years old to qualify for adoption. However, in individual states, the requirement simply is that you have to be ten years older than the kid you’re going to adopt.

You’ll find that there is no mention of any age barrier for adopting a child in individual states. In certain states, you’re not allowed to adopt a child if you’ve reached a certain age. You’ll get a clearer idea once you seek the help of an adoption company. Adoption companies generally have their age requirements for adoption, which you have to comply with.

I was convicted of a felony in the past. Do I qualify for adoption?

It is not set in stone that you won’t adopt if you were convicted in a court of law before adoption. The nature of the crime and other related factors would be taken into consideration to judge whether you’re eligible for the process or not. 

To know more about this and any other query you may have, you can visit Farrell & Perrault family law attorneys in Honolulu, Hawaii. They’re sure to assist you with any of your family law needs.