Kinship adoption (sometimes referred to as “relative adoption”) is the adoption of a child by the child’s relative.
Many situations may encourage a kinship adoption. These may include the death of a parent, removal of a child by social services, incarceration or incapacitation of a child’s parents, and abandonment of a child.
Generally, four qualifications must be met to be successful in a kinship adoption:
1. The relative must be a grandparent, brother, sister, half sibling, aunt, uncle or first cousin and
2. The relative must have had physical custody of the child for a period of one year or more and
3. The child is not the subject of a pending dependency and neglect proceeding.
4. The birth parent(s) must have abandoned the child for a period of one year or have failed to provide support for a period of one year or more.