STEPPARENT ADOPTION CHECKLIST

FILING FEE
Court costs $200.00

HOME STUDY FEE
This fee varies and is paid directly to the Adoption Assessor.

REQUIREMENTS

The person seeking to adopt must be a stepparent of the child to be adopted. Pursuant to Local Rule 78.5(0), all documentations required by statutes, Rules of Superintendence or Local Rules for adoptions, including without limitation the home study and all necessary proofs of service, must be filed with the court no later than 10 court days before the scheduled hearing date. If a case file is incomplete in any respect by that deadline, the Court will continue the hearing to a future date. Per ORC 3107.14, the Adoptee and the Petitioner must be present at the hearing.

INITIAL FILING

• Self-Representation Acknowledgment (FC Form 75.1) If applicable. This form must be filed if the applicant is not represented by an attorney.
• Contact Information Form (FC Form 75.3-A)
• Certified Copy of Birth Certificate
• Certified Copy of Marriage License between minor's biological parent and prospective adoptive parent
• Petition for Adoption of Minor (Form 18.0)
• Consent to Adoption (Form 18.3)
  • Please see O.R.C. 3107.06, 3107.07, 3107.08 and 3107.081 for more information on consent, whether it may be necessary in your situation, and the conditions for the court to accept consent in your situation.
  • If you do not believe that consent for a biological parent is necessary, you will need to provide the Court with a Judgment Entry Finding Consent Not Required (Form 18.4) in addition to indicating that consent is not required on the Petition for Adoption.

NOTICE TO BIOLOGICAL PARENT REQUIRED IF BIOLOGICAL PARENT LOSING PARENTAL RIGHTS DOES NOT SIGN A CONSENT

• If whereabouts are known:
  • Notice of Hearing on Petition for Adoption (Form 18.2) - Court will serve by Certified Mail
• If whereabouts are unknown:
  • Affidavit Stating Whereabouts are Unknown (FC Form 103.3), and Entry Ordering Publication (FC Form 103.4), and;
  • Notice of Publication (FC Form 103.5)
  • If Notice by Publication is ordered, it Is the applicant's responsibility to have the notice published once a week for three weeks, with the last publication being at least 20 days from the hearing. The applicant is responsible for paying and arranging for publication in the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette and providing proof of publication to the Court.
• If there is no known father:
  • Applicant must provide proof that a putative father registry check has been completed as well as the results from that putative father registry check. This must be done in situations where a father is not listed on the birth record, there has not been a father established by a paternity test, or if the father listed on the birth certificate has been determined not to be the biological father.

• Child Abuse Registry-Central Ohio. Pursuant to Local Rule 78.5(A), it is your responsibility to complete this application and mail it into the Bureau of Family Services. You must have the results back from them before you can file for an adoption. Along with all initial adoption documents, you must submit the results from the child abuse registry.
• Proof of search of National Sex Offender Public Website: https://www.nsopw.gov/
• Judgment Entry Setting Hearing and Ordering Notice (Form 18.1)
• Application to Appoint Assessor (FC Form 103.0)
• Order Appointing Assessor (FC Form 103.2) This asks the Court to approve your selected Assessor
• Proposed Final Decree of Adoption (without Interlocutory Order) (Form 18.7)
• Proposed Adoption Certificate for Parents (Form 18.8)
• Statement of Adopted Persons Form (FC Form 103.1)

FILINGS PRIOR TO HEARING

• Homestudy Recommending the Adoption
  • The Court requires the following: Medical Statements, Financial Statements, Fire Inspections, Safety Audits, SACWIS-JFS Search, FBI-BC/ Checks, Marriage Records, References, etc.
• Ohio Dept. of Health Vital Statistics Certificate of Adoption Form
  • This form should be used when the child was born in Ohio.
  • If the child was born in a different state, it is the Petitioner's responsibility to contact the state in which the child was born and determine whether Vital Statistics in that state will accept this form. If not, it is the Petitioner's responsibility to obtain the necessary forms and complete them. The correct forms must be filed with this initial filing. If this Ohio form is submitted with the initial filing, our Court will assume that the Petitioner has determined it to be acceptable, and we will proceed accordingly.

PC_CHECKLIST_Stepparent Adoptions 5-3-23