Adoption for a Grandmother

Grandmothers seeking to adopt must demonstrate parental unfitness or that adoption serves the child’s best interest, like any adoptive parent. Biological parents’ rights must be terminated through court proceedings. A grandmother’s existing relationship with the child can support best interest arguments, but does not waive the standard legal process.

It was fun for us recently to get a mention in this month’s Peoria Bar Assn. newsletter for a pro bono adoption. We do accept referrals from Prairie State Legal Services for people who are truly

A low income grandmother came to us because she had been caring for her granddaughter since birth. Her daughter, and the child’s mother, was in and out of their lives. She would come around, only to disappear again. The father of the child was in the Peoria County Jail. The grandmother had guardianship of the child, and was supporting the child without assistance from the parents. The grandmother was disabled and living on a fixed income, and struggling to support herself and the child. Adopting the child would have made the child eligible for a SSD offset, which would greatly improve their lives. Attorney Robert Parker offered to assist the client in gaining adoption, and the adoption was granted in April. Thank you Attorney Parker for your willingness to help this grandmother.

In a time where so many grandparents are raising grandchildren, this is an excellent pro bono opportunity. We receive many referrals from the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group, but there are more requests than we have resources. So if you are looking for an opportunity to make a difference in the life of a senior citizen and a child, consider an adoption case.

https://peoriabar.org/legalease/2015-august-legalease

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• Objective Impediments in Illinois Adoption: What Counts as a Real Barrier?
• Intent to Forgo Parental Rights in Illinois: How Courts Evaluate the Evidence
• The Two-Step Adoption Process in Illinois: Fitness First, Then Best Interest
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