[arthymom]

Are any of you PA residents picking up soon? I'd love to find out what this actually means and how it makes finalization easier.

Thanks!


Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
New Statewide Rules Issued to Standardize
Foreign Adoption Registration Procedures
HARRISBURG, August 30, 2006 - The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania today issued new rules to assist parents who adopt a child from a foreign nation by standardizing procedures to complete the adoption registration process in the Commonwealth's 67 counties.

The changes were prompted by new legislation approved by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Ed Rendell as Act 96 of 2006. The new law - designed to make foreign adoption procedures less burdensome and more uniform - takes effect Sept. 5.

"These rules create new forms and procedures that were developed and implemented in timely response to the new legislation," Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ralph J. Cappy said. "It is important that branches of government work together on administrative issues to enhance the level of services provided to the Commonwealth's citizens. Implementation of these new rules ensures the needs of the prospective adoptive parents and the child are adequately addressed."

The new court rules provide a standardized foreign adoption registration form and instructions for its use. The instructions clearly explain how to complete the form along with a list of possible reasons the court may consider to deny the petition.

The rule changes also eliminate the need for most adopting parents to attend a hearing or obtain legal counsel so long as they provide an authenticated copy of a foreign adoption decree, the child's visa and some form of birth identification or an affidavit - if no birth certificate is obtainable. Once the court concludes the foreign adoption was full and final the Clerk of Courts is required to enter the adoption on the record, issue a certificate of adoption and send the documentation to the state Department of Health, Division of Vital Records. In those cases in which the foreign adoption decree is not full and final, a "readoption" is required according to provisions of the Adoption Act and local rules of each county court.

The new rules were recommended to the court by the Orphans' Court Procedural Rules Committee whose seven members review current statewide practice and procedure and recommend new rules as necessary.

[mommywannabee]

This is news to me...our agency hasn't even said anything to us yet. I'm going to pass this on to them and see what they say.

Thanks for the heads up...we're in PGN (wishing we were picking up though!).

[Tamiswaiting]

I'll be interested in finding out what, exactly, this means and how easy it makes things for the adoptive parents in PA. I hope someone who brings their baby home will update us.

[Jecca]

This is very interesting to me. We've been in contact with a lawyer who recommends readoption even though we have an IR3. Not surprising as it nets her more money, but I'm cynical. I'd love to take a less expensive route. Does anyone know about how a name change fits into all of this?

[lifessence]

i'll be happy to give step by step once i get more information this week or early next.

we will be doing it ourselves without a lawyer. we have friends home in july who have done it themselves.

you need to go to your family court and get the forms appropriate for your case IR-3 vs. IR-4. then begin filing them out i believe we need our C of C...waiting to find this out.

i'm so surprised no one has done this in our area and come forward with details. i've been watching threads like this for almost six months and still have not seen one with tips or point by point on what to do in our state. i never understand why there is so little information and what we got from our agency is NOT helpful - one page letter with no tips!

we are in Chester County, PA. where is everyone who needs this information from?

i promise to help others as i go through it. i will be a pro at it by the time our third child comes home.

good luck everyone - nice to see other families in PA coming home!!!!

[Tamiswaiting]

I'm in Luzerne county....

[Jecca]

I'm in Philadelphia, and my understanding is that things are a little bit more "complicated" here. Shocking, I know.

[arthymom]

We would most certainly appreciate it.

We are in Mont. Co.

[lifessence]

sorry everyone - DD has been sick since we got home and the last two days has been running a temp up to 105.0! fun fun fun with a 9 month old who needs my attention and trying not to get him sick with whatever she picked up on our last day in Guat!

friends of ours just started this readoption process near us and i'm waiting to get the full rundown from them!

we can't understand why they have to make this so darn difficult. like we haven't gone through enough already just saying yes to all they required to begin adopting in the first place, let alone in a foreign country who needs to know every last detail about your life!

one day this too will be behind us!!! can't wait for all of our children to be home and this process 100% completed! praise God for getting us this far!

ok going to bed - long day for sure!

[lisaladybug]

I am in PA (Montgomery County) and we were able to do the name change and get our Certificate of Adoption through Orphan's Court. We came home on an IR-3. We just completed the process in June. It involved many phone calls but we paid very little (maybe $20?). We were going to use a lawyer but our agency insisted that we try on our own and we were successful. I did have to call orphan's court and ask for a sealed copy of the Certificate of Adoption so that we could use it for the new C. o. C and the social #. It sounds like things will be easier with the new regulations. I was shuffled around many times on the phone because no one really knew who I should talk to. We have new birth certificate from Vital Records with the new name . . . the new birth certificate CLEARLY states that is in NOT proof of citizenship. Hope this helps . . .I am glad we tried on our own because we saved quite a bit!

[smr67]

We are in PA and we picked up the form a couple of weeks ago that we need to file for the recognition of foreign adoption. We were a little confused at first, but after several conversations with our agency, and the clerk at the courthouse, we found out that under the new law all counties in PA are required to use the same form (Petition to Register Foreign Adoption Decree Pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S. &2908). The name change is done on the same form as the recognition. Our county gave us the forms we need to get a birth certificate as well -- they will submit that for us once the judge signs off on the recognition. Along with the recognition form, you will need to submit the original copy you received (that's why we need to go back in person) of the adoption decree and Guatemalan birth certificate -- they will call us to go back and pick up the documents when they are finished with them. You also need to submit a copy of the Visa to prove that the adoption is final (only folks with IR3's can use this recognition process for a Guatemalan adoption). If your county is not using the standard form and process than I would contact your state represenative because they are supposed to.

Our agency (and their attorney) have stated that for Guatemalan adoptions where the child comes home on an IR3, this recognition process is all that is necessary. Re-adoption is only necessary in PA for the children coming home from Guatemala on an IR4. Hope this helps.

[sassycindy]

hi,

i just readopted in Pittsburgh last month. my readoption took longer in PA than my entire Guatemalan adoption. Our lawyer charged $700, which i felt was quite reasonable considering how much work she had to do. It was VERY involved.
The visit from the court to our home was more thorough and involved than our homestudy.
Our day in court was longer than the day we spent in the US embassy in Guatemala!

My lawyer did mention that changes were comign to our state and would make things much easier than we had it.

Cindy

[lifessence]

sorry to hear about your experience cindy!

as soon as i know more i will let everyone know.

but from what i understand smr67 gave us all the tips we need!

good luck and i will post if i get anything outside of what she so graciously shared!

[lifessence]

ok, while the kids were all napping i found this!

Click here: CCPA: Register of Wills Foreign Adoption Registration

this is for cumberland county, however, what i found out is that every county but Philadelphia is supposed to follow the exact same guidelines and if they are not you should be able to present this to the orphan court in its place.

this is the most inclusive instructions i have found on each step they need - including new birth certificate. UGH looks like more work than i have time for with three kids and i have to do this two more times in the next six months. yikes! didn't we go through enough with the adoption. i don't get why they have to make everything so difficult. came home on IR-3 Visa a citizen - why not allow us to file the paperwork out of a court room?

anyone know????

hope this helps everyone in the same boat! if you find out anything please share and i will continue to do the same!

[arthymom]

Do you guys think I should get dh to visit to have her come home on an IR-3???

I don't want extra complications!