What is required for a birth parent relinquishment?

In Indiana, relinquishment of a child means that birthparents voluntarily give up their parental rights to the child. For a birth parent to relinquish their parental rights, certain requirements must be met. The first requirement is that the birthparents must be at least eighteen years old. If the birthparents are under eighteen, they must have a guardian to sign the relinquishment papers. The birthparents must also be willing to sign a surrender form and attend a court hearing. The surrender form declares that the birthparents are voluntarily turning over their parental rights and giving up their legal responsibilities to their child. The court hearing is to ensure that the birthparents understand the implications of the relinquishment of their child’s rights. During the hearing, both the birthparents and the adoptive parents must be present and answer questions. In addition, the birthparents must have received counseling from a licensed counselor. This counseling is to inform the birthparents of all of their options and help them make an educated decision. The counselor must also provide the court with a statement verifying that the birthparent has received counseling and is making an informed decision. Finally, the birthparents must be financially and emotionally prepared to give up their parental rights. This means that the birthparents must be able to pay for the necessary legal fees and provide for the emotional needs of the child. After all of these requirements have been met, the birthparents can legally relinquish their parental rights, allowing the child to be adopted by another family.

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What is required for a birth parent relinquishment?

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