Telling step children about adoption
Your step child will have to know about adoption. Sometimes parents feel it's difficult to tell a child a step parent is not the biological or legal parent. But it is better to be honest and open with children to avoid problems in the future. We can suggest ways you may be able to explain things to even a very young child. We will talk to your child and include his or her views in a report we make to the court. The court will take your child's view into account when it decides whether to make an adoption order.
What should we consider before going ahead?
You need to consider very carefully what it may mean for the step child. For example:
- Your child will no longer have any legal links to the other birth parent. That means they are now legally cut off from aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins etc. This could be painful for them.
- Your child may feel he or she has to choose between different adults who are all important to him or her.
- Later on, children may blame step-parents for depriving them of the lost birth parent.
- A child may feel he or she is to blame for rejecting the lost birth parent.
- A child loses any automatic rights to inherit from the lost birth parent.