Services
International Adoption
Re-Adoption
Re-Adoption is the process of completing a second adoption in California after a foreign born child has been adopted from a foreign country by California residents. Currently, re-adoption in California is not mandatory by California law, but may be required by the federal government for immigration purposes. The Family Network highly encourages all adoptive families to complete the re-adoption process as it is to the adoptive child’s benefit.
In some cases, adoptive parents enter the United States with legal guardianship of their child, but their adoption has not yet been granted. In this case, finalization (re-adoption) is crucial to complete the adoption and the adoptive parents must obtain a certificate of citizenship after the adoption is completed. When your child becomes an adult at the age of 18, if you have failed to obtain a certificate of citizenship for your child and they commit a crime, they could be deported.
Re-Adoption Requirements
- At least one post-placement visit/report by a California adoption agency licensed by the State to provide intercountry adoption services
- Filing of an adopt 200-Adoption Request (ADOPT-200) with the California Supeiror Court in the pettiner’s country of residence
- Filing of the intercountry adoption court report prepared by the licensed adoption agency
conducting the post placement visit(s) - Accounting reports detailing adoption expeneses (ADOPT-230)
- A copy of your homestudy report previously completed for the finalized intercountry adoption
by TFN (Note: Completion of a second home study is not necessary.) - The final adoption decree or order from the country of the child’s birth
How to Re-Adopt:
- Receive court documents packet from the Family Network after your child’s 6 month post adoption visit. This includes: ADOPT-50, VS44, ADOPT-200, ADOPT-200, Adopt-210, Adopt, Adopt-215, and adopt-230 for the adoptive parents to fill out. The packet also includes the two court documents prepared by TFN (Consent & Joinder and the Superior Court Department) as well as a copy of your child’s most recent post adoption report.
- 2. Take your re-adoption paperwork to the court clerk in the county where you live. File the ADOPT-200 and set a date for the re-adoption hearing. Be sure to ask the court clerk to inform you of all documents that must be submitted for the re-adoption process, as some courts request different documents.
- Bring with you to the hearing: the child you are adopting, all documents included in the court packet from TFN, a copy of your adoption homestudy, and a copy of all legal paper work received in your child country regarding the adoption (adoption decree, abandonment decree, birth certificate, etc.)
- Submit a copy of the final adoption order (ADOPT-215) to TFN after you complete your child’s re-adoption
