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You are here: Families & Children > Adoption > Stepparent/Domestic Partner Adoptions > Questions & Answers > What are the types of adoption?
What is a stepparent adoption?
What is a domestic partner adoption?
What is an independent, agency or international adoption?
What is the difference between a step-parent/domestic partner adoption and independent, agency or international adoptions?
What is a stepparent adoption?
When the spouse of the child's parent adopts that child. The law recognizes domestic partners too for stepparent adoptions.
What is a domestic partner adoption?
When the domestic partner of a child's parent adopts that child. A domestic partner adoption is the same as a stepparent adoption. Once the adoption is final, the domestic partner also becomes the child's legal parent, with all the legal rights and responsibilities of a parent/child relationship.
What is an independent, agency or international adoption?
- Agency adoption: when the Department of Social Services or a licensed adoption agency is part of the adoption case.
- Independent adoption: when no adoption agency or the Department of Social Services is part of the adoption case.
- International adoption: when the child to be adopted is born in another country.
What is the difference between a stepparent/domestic partner adoption and independent, agency or international adoptions?
The stepparent adoption is a little simpler than the other types because one of the child's birth parent (opens in new window) still remains as the child's parent.
In the other three types of adoptions, the court ends the parental rights of both parents to their children. The adoptive parents become the children's legal parents and have all the rights and responsibilities of a parent and child relationship.
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Last modified: 03/17/2008
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