My Parents Keep Threatening to Adopt My Children from Me – What to Do

Grandparents may have any variety of feelings about your ability to raise a child well or whether you know what is best or not. While there are situations that make it apparent that a child would be better with the grandparents, there should always be some discussion as to the parent’s role in that child’s life.

If your parents are threatening to adopt your children and terminate your rights, you might consider speaking with a family law attorney in Houston, Texas.

Can Someone Adopt Your Child Without Permission

In theory, no one can adopt your child without your knowing about it. However, if your child is in danger either because of the living environment, your actions, or the actions of another adult or child in the house, then you may lose parental rights. Losing parental rights isn’t something that most parents want to go through voluntarily.

If you’re looking to fight the adoption process, you can go through the Texas State Department of Family Protective Services. They may already be a part of your life, and to that extent, they can become a resource for parents who are looking to maintain custody and rights over their children.

When looking to do everything within your power to maintain your parental rights, you might consider enlisting in parenting classes, getting involved, and using the safety resources and more. Show that you’re willing to make any life changes necessary to maintain your parental rights.

Understanding What the Courts Can Do

The courts will always place the needs and best interests of the children first. That means that they often don’t care if you’re the mother or father. Instead, they look at the presented evidence of abuse or neglect and make a decision based on those elements. When it comes to adoption, especially between family members, there is often a long process of removing the child from the parent’s custody, and then removing rights, before finalizing any adoptions.

The courts will often work to help people become better parents. A judge may provide the opportunity to regain custody after losing residential custody or physical custody before removing parental rights.

Is Voluntary Adoption A Better Option?

In some situations, there’s the opportunity to go through a voluntary adoption and what that often means is that you’re surrendering rights. For some families, this can leave the lines of communication more open than it would with going through the court system.

Although there are always debates with these matters, on a family level, private adoption is something that many families can recover from and grow to understand. When the process goes through the court system, and the state of Texas removes your parental, you may not be able to mend those relationships later.

Voluntary adoption is worth considering if you understand that the children may be best with your parents.

What Rights Can Parents Have After Adoption?

After adoption takes place, parents have no rights. Of course, there are the stories where a family adopts a new baby, and then weeks or months later, the birth parents change their minds. Those are heartbreaking tales and not that uncommon. But those situations often involve an adoption contract, and with new parents, there’s usually a window for them to change their minds.

For parents of children, and when the grandparents are involved, that is not the case. You did not choose to put your child up for adoption and then realize that you couldn’t do it. What happens instead is that when your parents adopt your children, all of your parental rights are gone. That means that you do not have any right to see them on a regular basis.

Contacting an Adoption Attorney in Houston

When you know that there are grounds for terminating parental rights, it may seem like the adoption will be a breeze. Even where there is clear physical, sexual, or psychological abuse of the child, adoption is still not easy. Proving neglect and abuse are only small elements when it comes to removing parental rights and securing an adoption.

The parents involved may have other opportunities through the court system, such as anger management, drug counseling, and similar. The State of Texas often aims to keep families together unless it is evident that the situation won’t change, and the child will remain in danger.

Contact Eddington Worley’s office in Houston, where you can speak with a local attorney about the adoption case or possible case in your life.