adoption
Can I Adopt in Michigan?
Applicants can be single, married, or divorced. You can own or rent a home. Parents need to be at least 18 years old in order to foster or adopt. While adoptive parents do not need to be rich, they need a stable income to support a growing family. Applicants must be in good mental and physical health. Members of an adoptive household must be in good health as well. Parents need to provide 3 professional references. Adoption training classes may be required in order to become a foster/adoptive parent. For a more complete list of adoption FAQ, visit michigan.gov.
What Adoption Regulations Exist in Michigan?
Advertising: Adoption facilitators in Michigan are defined as licensed adoption agencies and attorneys. These two professionals may distribute pamphlets highlighting their services offered. They must present interested parties a written document including the following: the types of adoptions they handle, the services they provide, eligibility requirements for adoptive families, the procedure used to select adoptive parents for the child (in agency adoptions), amount of contact between families after adoption finalization, and a schedule of all fees.
Relinquishment: When a father refuses to consent to adoption for children born out of wedlock, adoption consent from the mother can be taken at any time pending the termination of the father’s parental rights and request for custody of the child. Consent cannot be executed until a judge or other authorized individual explains to the parent or guardian the parental rights and that consent permanently terminates those rights. If consent from a child is required, consent cannot be executed until an authorized individual explains to the child that their consent to acquire permanently an adoptive parent is as though they were legally born to that parent. Any person who grants consent may petition the courts to revoke consent up until the child is placed for adoption. After placement, parents may revoke only if an appeal for termination of parental rights is pending, and a petition for a rehearing has been filed within the appropriate time.
Birth parent expenses: Adoptive parents may pay reasonable charges for the following: medical, hospital, pharmaceutical charges for the birth mother/child in connection with the pregnancy, counseling charges for birth parent or child, living expenses before birth and up to 6 weeks postpartum, adoption related traveling expenses.
Post-adoption contact agreements: Contact agreements are not legally enforceable in Michigan.
Birth father rights: While no putative father registry exists in Michigan, unmarried fathers can take alternate steps to establish paternity. Before the birth of the child, father’s can file with any court in Michigan a notice of intent to claim paternity. As long as the mother does not deny the claim, the father becomes a presumed father and has the right to receive notice of adoption proceedings. The unmarried father may also sign an acknowledgement of paternity along with the birth mother.
Finalization: The child must live with hopeful adoptive parents for at least 6 months before adoption finalization.