There are times when a Riverside parent may feel as if they're unable to adequately raise their child, whether it's for health, financial or other reasons. In such cases, they may wish to hand over custody to a relative temporarily while they get well or back on their...
Adoption And Guardianship
What should I know about adopting a child as a single person?
Contrary to popular belief, adoption isn't just an option for wealthy, married people. Single individuals are increasingly deciding to take on the responsibility of adopting and raising kids on their own here in California and across the United States.As you research...
Same-sex adoptions are increasing
Up until the last few years, many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals in California and across the nation struggled to gain the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts. This was especially a problem for homosexual couples looking...
Why parental rights are terminated before a California adoption
There are many ways to adopt a child in California, each with different requirements to do so. If there's one commonality shared between them, it's that the child's biological parents are required to terminate their parental rights before an adoption is allowed to...
Parents need to have certain personality attributes to adopt
Many people have dreamt of becoming a parent but struggle to conceive on their own. Some individuals may not have considered having children but are touched by a particular child's story. Both of these situations may motivate someone to want to adopt a son or daughter...
It’s important that teens are adopted
When people hear about adoption, they often think of newborns. Parents often give up their babies because they're either too young or are lacking the financial means to adequately take care for them. Older kids including teens who've been bounced around to different...
What consent is needed to effectuate a California adoption?
If you've considered adopting a child, then you've likely heard the word "consent" used quite a bit. The parent or agency responsible for a child must relinquish their rights to a minor before the adoption process can move forward.The Children's Bureau notes that...
How common is same-sex couple adoption in the United States?
Data compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2010 showed that there were just under 600,000 same-sex couple households that year. At least 115,000 of them reported having children. The number of kids who live with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) parents...
What does the background check for adoption in California entail?
If you're looking to adopt, then you've likely already begun researching what steps you must take to get the process started. You've likely found that California and every other state in the union require that you undergo a background check before a child will be...
Do I need an attorney to adopt my friend’s child in California?
Adoptions that occur between birth and adoptive parents who already are friends are referred to as independent adoptions because they don't involve a California state agency or a private one placing the child. While some jurisdictions allow consenting parties to...