Foster Care to Adoption & Foreign Adoptions

Changing History One Child at a Time

Adopting a child that has been living with you in foster care can be an amazing opportunity to save the child from a life of abuse and neglect. Although you may be excited at the opportunity to expand your family, there are also many challenges that come with it. At Jay H. Ginsburg, P.C., we will work with you through the legal process.

Foster Care Adoptions

If you have chosen to adopt the child that has been living with you in foster care, the county will give you many benefits. Although this helps with the adoption financially, working to that point can be a complicated process. The child may be eligible to receive a subsidy until he or she is 18. If the child has special needs, this period can be extended. In addition, the county will also issue medical cards and reimburse you for the cost of the adoption.

Foreign Adoption

With over 20 years of experience, lawyer Jay H. Ginsburg is familiar with the procedures that need to be followed to adopt a child from a foreign country. There are three main scenarios in foreign adoption:

• IR3 visa: If a certificate of citizenship has already been issued for your child, you must register the foreign decree. In some cases a child's name still needs to be changed or corrected. This can be done via the refinalization process.
• IR4 visa: We will work with you to re-finalize the adoption in the United States and inform you of other requirements such as applying for a certificate of citizenship from the Department of Homeland Security of Immigration and Naturalization.
• Adoption not finalized overseas: Several countries issue decrees of abandonment releasing children for adoption but do not finalize the adoption in their country. These foreign adoptions must be finalized in the United States. We will work with you to complete this process.

Name Changes

If you have already adopted a child and are interested in changing his or her name, we can help you through the process. This procedure requires that and advertisement be placed in the local law reporter and a newspaper of general circulation. Additionally, a fingerprint card must be obtained from the local police precinct. We also handle name changes in non-adoption situations of both children and adults including same sex families to create consistency in the family name.

If you are interested in scheduling your free initial consultation, please contact our firm or call 610-277-1999. We are open Monday through Friday from 9-5. All adoptions are done at a flat rate, though an additional advertising fee may be required if a birth parent's location is unknown.

Jay H. Ginsburg, P.C.

527 Swede St
Norristown, PA 19401-4806
Telephone: 610-277-1999 | Fax: 610-292-8498
Map and Directions | E-mail us

Jay H. Ginsburg, P.C., is located in Norristown, Pennsylvania, and represents clients throughout the Philadelphia area, including Philadelphia County, Montgomery County, Delaware County, Chester County and Bucks County.

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