Why does a stepparent adoption need an investigative report?
When a stepparent wants to adopt their spouse's child, the process needs to be filed with the local county superior court. A determination must be made to ensure the adoption is in the child's best interest. Due to this determination, a criminal history check of the adoptive parent will need to be conducted via fingerprinting.
If the adoptive parent has lived in California for less than five years, the criminal history check must also be conducted from the prior state of residence. The investigative report, also known as a home study in public and private adoptions, will combine the history of the prospective adoptive parent and their ability to parent their stepchild. The biological parent’s history and background will not be investigated. The investigative report is filed with the stepparent court documentation. There is a filing fee for stepparent adoptions, usually up to $700 but this varies from county to county in California.
Did you know you can have a private adoption agency conduct your stepparent adoption?
EA is a licensed private adoption agency. Our agency's adoption license enables us to help with stepparent court documentation and conduct court investigative reports.
What is the process for a Stepparent Adoption?
A stepparent adoption consists of two to three home visits by an EA Social Worker, background information on the stepparent, and additional information for the investigative report. For more information, please get in touch with adoptions@ea.org.
Do I have to pay to adopt my stepchild child?
There is a fee associated with this adoption service. Contact our agency today for a free qualified consultation regarding stepparent adoption.