questions & answers

Question: We have custody of two of our neices and feel that we should adopt them. We had them for a year and helped the mother get off drugs and returned them to her for a time. We found them in a hotel with her and older man and another girl. The adults were high and the little girls were filthy dirty and asleep. We brought them home and have had them again for 4 months. They are 4 and 3. We feel that we should adopt them and raise them. What do we do to accomplish this?

Answer:

Adoption is the legal process of taking a child of other biological parents and accepting it as your own, with all the legal rights and responsibilities there would be if the child were yours by birth. The Arizona Revised Statutes relating to the adoption of a minor child can be found in title 8. You can find a summary of the statutes through links from the Adoption article on this site.

If you feel that children are being subject to neglect or abuse, contact Child Protective Services at 1-888-767-2445 or call 911 for emergencies. Due to the complexity of adoption, you may also wish to consult directly with an attorney.