There are countless reasons that parents may consider putting their child up for adoption. In most cases, they believe that doing so will give their child a much better opportunity at a happy, healthy life. A large percentage of adoptions in Illinois involve single mothers who feel that they are not able to provide properly for their child. The choice of a single mother to make her child available for adoption is, undoubtedly, a difficult one, but what about that child’s father? Does he have any say in the process?

Your Rights as a Legal Father

If you are the legally-recognized father of a child that is being placed for adoption, the proceedings may not continue without your consent. In most cases, you must be willing to voluntarily terminate your parental rights. It is possible for your parental rights to terminated against your will, but only if you are found to by the court to be an unfit parent. Grounds for such a finding include abandonment of the child, failure to maintain interest, concern or responsibility, neglect, repeated physical or emotional abuse, substance abuse, and other negative behaviors.

In light of recent numbers showing that remarriage in the United States has reached an all-time high, an increasing number of families are being combined as a result. Many stepparents develop strong emotional relationships with their stepchildren as each becomes accustomed to new role and family dynamics. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the family, some stepparents are interested in more than just establishing a bond with the child; instead, they may seek the recognition and rights as the child’s legal parent through a stepparent adoption.

Stepparent Adoption Requirements

Related adoptions occur frequently in the United States, and stepparent parent adoptions represent the most common form of all adoptions in the country. Generally, the simplicity of a stepparent adoption in Illinois is contingent on three criteria being met:

Winter has broken and Spring has sprung. It is so nice out that you decide to pack up your two year old and head to the neighborhood park. It seems as if everyone had the same idea. The park is packed and you recognize your neighbor Lindsay with a toddler within watchful reach. You vaguely remember that Lindsay and Jack were considering adoption last Fall and it appears that the adoption process went well.

 You would like to approach her so your toddlers can enjoy the sunshine together but a little trepidation of how to approach the situation is holding you back. Contemplating on how to initiate the conversation crosses your mind as Lindsay waves a hello in your direction.

As you stroll over, toddler in tow, you are still wondering how to bring up such a personal choice as adoption without appearing intrusive. Luckily for others, Parents Magazine recently published an article on adoption etiquette by Wesley C. Davidson from American Baby. Davidson suggests the following questions and remarks should not find their way into the conversation.

According to babycenter.com, approximately 10 percent of all couples in the United States have difficulty conceiving. Research reports that women and men equally share the burden of infertility at 30 percent respectfully. The remaining 40 percent of fertility issues are unexplainable or a combination of multiple factors involving both partners.

Perhaps following acceptance of the medical diagnosis and having dealt with the gamut of emotions, you and your spouse have decided to begin the adoption process. Surprisingly, you have both decided to open your home and hearts to an older child who has been patiently waiting in the wings.

The process begins. You will need to retain an experienced family law attorney, contact the adoption agency of your choice and complete an application with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). You will then need to schedule an appointment with an Illinois state social worker to confirm that your finances and home are in order. In Illinois, you are also required to schedule a fingerprinting session. Awaiting the final determination, you now have the opportunity to bond with your son or daughter.

As more women enter the workplace, more couples are putting off having children until their late thirties, and human bodies have not biologically caught up. Both men and women are in their prime for having children in their twenties and early thirties, but more often couples are having children well into their forties, or at least trying to do so.

For those couples that are unfortunately not able to have children when they want to, there are many alternatives, including surrogacy and adoption.