You probably recognize that no two families are exactly the same. Even though you successfully parented your child into adulthood, you may have additional work to do. That is, you may need to adopt your grandchildren to ensure they have the care they need to get through childhood.
Choosing whether to adopt a grandchild is a deeply personal decision. Before you begin adoption proceedings, you should understand your rights and responsibilities as an adoptive parent. Nonetheless, choosing to step into the shoes of your child and raise his or her children is incredibly noble. Here are seven common reasons grandparents choose to adopt their grandchildren.
1. Addiction
Alcohol and drug abuse can be devastating for any family. If your child has substance abuse problems, he or she may have difficulty caring for your grandchildren. By adopting the grandkids, you may allow your child to focus on recovery.
2. Deployment
In some cases, long-term military deployments can leave servicemembers unable to care for their children. If your child is in the military, adopting your grandchildren may give them the normalcy they need to thrive.
3. Mental or physical disabilities
As a grandparent, you may have to address mental or physical disabilities in a couple different ways. First, you may have a disabled child who is incapable of raising children. Alternatively, your grandchild may have a mental or physical impairment that requires special attention. Either way, adoption may be the right path forward.
4. Youth pregnancy
Raising a child is difficult for those who are still children themselves. While you may not be able to prevent your teenage child from having a child, you may decide to adopt your grandchild. Not only may this approach give your child the best chance to go to college and pursue a career, it may provide stability for your grandchild.
5. Poverty
As you probably know, raising children can be expensive. If your child does not have the financial means to meet the everyday needs of your grandchildren, adoption may give you the legal authority to provide for them.
6. Neglect
Sometimes parents lack the necessary knowledge to care for children properly. If your son or daughter routinely neglects your grandchild, you may need to take over. Also, if there is domestic abuse in your grandchild’s home, adopting the affected children may be a necessary step to protect them.
7. Death
No parent wants to think about losing a child. Nonetheless, if your son or daughter has passed away, you may need to adopt your grandchildren to keep them out of the state system.
While these seven instances are common in grandchildren adoptions, they do not include every possible rationale for adopting your child’s children. Nonetheless, you should understand that grandparents regularly assume parental responsibilities for a variety of reasons.
