Adoption in Pennsylvania involves a legal procedure that ends the original parent-child bond and establishes a new one. Once everything is finalized, the child is issued a new birth certificate, and original records are sealed, although children may still access certain medical and social details about their birth parents. To ensure fairness and protect against unethical practices such as “baby selling,” Pennsylvania imposes multiple procedural and substantive regulations. While it is generally permissible to cover pregnancy-related expenses, profiting from the adoption process itself is strictly prohibited. Adoptions may be completed through public or private agencies, as well as through private agreements.

Legal Consequences of Adoption
Adoptive parents obtain all rights and responsibilities of a biological parent, and the child likewise acquires corresponding rights toward the new parents. With court approval and mutual agreement, an adoptive parent and a birth relative can establish a written plan that allows ongoing contact between the child and birth relative, or between the adoptive parent and birth relative. If the child has reached 12 years of age or older, the child’s consent is required as part of this arrangement.

Termination of Parental Rights
In order for an adoption to be valid, the birth parents’ rights must be legally ended, either voluntarily or involuntarily. Voluntary termination means the birth parents willingly give up their rights and consent to the adoption. Various procedural safeguards are in place to confirm the decision is made freely and that any possible father has been informed. Parents cannot lose their rights solely because of factors beyond their control, such as inadequate housing or low income.

Steps for Ending Parental Rights
Because terminating parental rights is a serious action, the law requires two distinct steps. First, the person requesting termination must demonstrate at least one legal basis through clear and convincing evidence. Second, they must show that cutting off parental rights is in the child’s best interests.

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