STEP PARENT ADOPTIONS/RELATIVE ADOPTIONS
THERE ARE MANY LEGAL AND EMOTIONAL REASONS FOR STEP PARENT ADOPTIONS AND RELATIVE ADOPTIONS OF ARIZONA CHILDREN
Building Arizona Families is a licensed adoption agency. We are not a law firm and the following information is not intended to act as legal advice. As a licensed adoption agency, we are delighted to serve families who desire to move forward with step parent adoption and relative adoptions.
Reasons for Step Parent Adoptions / Relative Adoptions may include, but are not limited to:
- Custody in the event of a parental death
- The right to inherit
- The right to social security should the step parent die
- Legal authority to talk to the child’s schools, to pick a child up at school or daycare, and to make emergency medical decisions for the child
- The same last name as other family members
SEVERANCE AND ADOPTION INFORMATIOn from BUILDING ARIZONA FAMILIES, A licensed adoption agency
NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN STEP PARENT ADOPTIONS
As a licensed adoption agency, it is Building Arizona Families’ responsibility to remain current on adoption legislation. On March 13, 2012, the Arizona Legislature amended Arizona Revised Statute Section 8-112 to provide that the social study required for an adoption of a child by a step parent or immediate relative shall consist only of a state and federal criminal records check (i.e. fingerprinting) and a central registry check (i.e. child abuse clearance) if:
- The prospective adoptive parent is the child’s step-parent who has been legally married to the child’s birth or legal parent for at least one year and has resided with the child for at least six months.
- The prospective adoptive parent is the child’s adult sibling by whole or half blood or is the child’s aunt, uncle, grandparent or great-grandparent and the child has resided with the prospective adoptive relative for at least six months.