The Role of the Birth Father in an Adoption Plan
When it comes to adoption, the role of a birth father can be more involved in the adoption process than one may think. Each child does have two birth parents after all and one of them must be their birth father. One of the biggest parental rights is the right to consent or the right to object to the adoption of one’s child. Generally, both parents of a child must consent to an adoption. If the father is not known, or the whereabouts of the father is unknown, many states require that some sort of notice be published in the legal advertising section of the newspaper, informing all persons claiming to be the biological father of the pending adoption.
In some instances, this may be the case, but for most adoptions, birth fathers are active participants or are invited to be included.
Depending on each individual situation, you as a birth mother should tell the birth father about his child, but sometimes, the birth father may be absent from the life of his child. For example, the birth father:
- May have died
- May be incarcerated
- May be with another woman
- May be missing
- Is unaware that he has had a child
Understand, the birth father has the same roles and responsibilities of that of the birth mother, even though it may be common that the birth father may not be introduced since he may not be known to the birth mother or unavailable.
If the birth father is unknown, DNA samplings can help to determine the father. Sometimes, the mother may be questioned and an investigator may be able to research vital information about the birth father. Each individual situation is different and it is important to understand your individual situations before deciding on important questions of situations such as whether to tell the birth father or if you do not know who your birth father is to get a DNA sample.
Adoption Choices of Kansas can also help you in the process of locating the child’s birth father and discussing what appropriate actions should be taken depending on the individual situations. Serving birth parents statewide and beyond, please call us or text us to learn more! Call Us 877-903-4488 or Text Us 316-209-2071
Author Bio: Hello! My name is Jason and I am an Editorial Intern for Adoption Choices for the Summer of 2020! I am a rising senior English major studying at Siena College in Loudonville, New York! I am originally from the Albany, New York area, but have plans to relocate to sunny Venice, Florida with my mom! Upon completion of my bachelor’s degree, I plan to study General Special Education at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina to earn my Master’s degree where I plan to teach middle school level Special Education!
I am 20 years old and have a unique family, thus why I became interested in interning for Adoption Choices! My parents have been divorced since I was around 7 or 8 years old and currently I live with my mom and my younger sister (17) lives with my dad. I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of 3 which is a form of Autism that makes it harder for me to communicate with others in person.
I am also extremely introverted, but I really enjoy writing, thus why I chose to major in English. I also want to co-teach English in the future (two teachers teach in one classroom). I perform very well academically and want to ultimately get my Master’s degree in Special Education so I can help others with disabilities in the classroom setting. I’m looking forward to interning and learning more about the adoption process, while also being able to teach you along the way!
Best, Editorial Intern Jason
