[deidredahn]

My husband and I are foster parents to a 17 year old girl. We are planning to adopt her, which she wants. Her birth mother's rights were taken away 7 years ago, and her birth father at that time was "unknown." Recently the birth mother contacted the supposed birth father, and to make a long story short, a paternity test will be done next week to find out if it's him.

My question is this: if he IS her birth father, could that make it harder for us to adopt her? If he wanted to try to get custody of her, and she didn't want that, what would happen? I really don't think he could take her if she was unwilling, given her age and the fact that she is thriving in a loving, stable home.

I don't think he will want to remove her from our home, because he doesn't seem like that kind of person, but of course we have questions. Would he have to sign his rights away, or what rights does he even have? We're not going to move forward on anything with the adoption until we are sure that our foster daughter is certain that's what she wants (her feelings may change or waver if he turns out to be her biological father).