[bcardinelle]

Hello,
My husband and I have been married for a year now and my sixteen year old sister just had a little girl in December. She considered adoption before she gave birth but decided to keep the baby. Now she is looking at her future with the child and has asked my husband and I to consider adopting her daughter. We were starting to discuss planning a family, and although adopting her child would be sooner than we had planned she won't adopt to anyone else. She has decided because it is risky for us to try to have a child because of a health condition I have, and because of how my Husband treats her daughter that she is considering giving her child a better future with a mom and dad. We know friends who have taken custody of family's children, but no one who has gone through adoption of a siblings' neice or nephew. I am looking for people who have had similiar experiences. The birth father has been in jail since before the baby was born and is very violent. She never claimed him as the father on the birth certificate hoping he won't try to push paternity, but I am afraid because of how controlling he is that if he finds out we are trying to adopt will attempt to claim parental rights. Any information on how to get started and experience or advice would be greatly welcomed and appreciated.

[alwaysus]

We adopted my husbands nephew.
We have had Paul since he was 6 days old,he is 5 now and I truly can't imagine life without him. We are going to be adopting his bio sibling when he/she is born in June.
Make SURE you have the fathers rights dealt with one way or the other. If you don't,it can cause problems later on. This is one aspect you do NOT want to ignore. I wish you the best!
Feel free to PM me if you want to.

[ncangel418]

First of all I want to congratulate you and your husband on wanting to start a family. There is nothing like a child (or two) to make a family complete. Especially when you can give a loving and stable to a child that needs you. I agree with 'alwaysus' you need to take care of the biological fathers rights, at least make sure your sister dont put his name on the birth certificate. I, too, am adopting my sisters biological twin boys. We tried getting thier sister before the twins were born though, but the father fought us and we couldnt get her. Now she isn't with him, I don't know where exactly she is, but the DSS did say they fought a good christian family for her. See her biological father is looking forward to prison soon, he is a hibitual felon and because of his selfishness our boys won't get to know their sister. I want to wish you luck, if you decide to do this, and make sure your sister understands her part in the adoption (that you and your husband raise the child as your own). If you have any questions, all you have to do is ask .
Amanda

wife to Henry 04-21-01
mother to Christian and Christopher 04-18-03
been parents to these precious angels since birth