If you’re a prospective birth parent, you may ask, “If my child is adopted, do I still have to pay child support?”
Then answer to this question is no. When your child is adopted, it’s a permanent decision that involves the termination of your parental rights and responsibilities — and, therefore, any obligation you have to pay child support. Whether your child is being adopted as an infant or when they’re older, if you give consent to have your parental rights terminated, you will not have any legal parental obligations to them.
If you’re asking, “If my child is adopted, do I still have to pay child support?” or have questions about your legal rights during the adoption process and what will be expected of you after the adoption is complete, you can always talk to an adoption counselor at A Child’s Hope. We can explain what the adoption process is like and what is legally required of you, whether you’re a prospective birth mother or father.
Generally, when parents ask us this question, it’s in regard to two kinds of adoption:
Private Domestic Infant Adoption
When an infant is placed for adoption with an adoptive family, both the birth mother and father’s parental rights are terminated. That means, once you sign your consent to the adoption, you will have no rights or responsibilities to your baby, including any obligation to pay child support.
In addition, when you place a child for adoption through A Child’s Hope, you can be assured that any adoptive family is financially prepared to complete the adoption process and raise your child in a financially stable and supportive home.
Stepparent Adoption
The other situation when biological parents wonder about child support payments is in a stepparent adoption. Usually, the parent who is voluntarily terminating their rights so their child’s stepparent can adopt them is the one who is curious about this. The answer is the same in this case; once your parental rights are terminated, you will have no obligation to pay child support. However, if you have outstanding child support payments at the time of the adoption, you may still be obligated to pay these.
Before you cease paying your child support obligations, make sure you talk to an attorney and the North Carolina Child Support Enforcement office. They can best answer any questions you have about your current child support obligations and any payments that you may owe after your child’s adoption is complete. The counselors at A Child’s Hope can also refer you to the correct professional or attorney for your situation.
In addition to the referrals, our counselors can help you better understand your legal rights and responsibilities during the adoption process, how the adoption process works and what financial resources are available if you’re considering adoption. If you’re asking, “If my child is adopted, do I still have to pay child support?” please call our Pregnancy Hotline: (919) 971-4396, or Text: Pregnant to (919) 971-4396, or email ach@achildshope.com.
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Kelly Dunbar
Adoption Counselor/Homestudy Supervisor - Triangle
As an adoptive parent I truly have a passion for adoption. There is no greater joy than helping to create a family! I love this job and I love working with adoptive parents as well as the birth parents. When it all comes together it is an awesome experience! Kelly is a graduate of NC State University where she earned a Bachelor of Social Work. She also received her Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina. Kelly has been working with children, families, in the home and in communities for 18 years. Kelly has been working with birth mothers and adoptive parents for the last 5 years. Besides working, she has a great husband and three fabulous children, Landon, Parker and Ansley. Kelly and her husband adopted their daughter with the help of ACH and feels as though her personal experience helps her relate to other adoptive families.
Sloane Mosley
Greensboro
Sloane completed her undergraduate degree in Human Services Counseling at Old Dominion University and holds a Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California. Sloane has been working with children, birth mothers and adopting families for more than 10 years. She loves advocating for children and helping women during pregnancy.
Lakisha Brown
Winston-Salem
Lakisha completed her undergraduate degree in Sociology with a concentration in Social Welfare at Winston-Salem State University. She received her Master of Social Work from Syracuse University. Lakisha has worked with children, individuals and families for more than 12 years. Her experience includes working with at-risk youth, homeless children and families, child mental health, as well as school social work and case management. She is also a long-time basketball fan, a former player and coach. She played at Winston-Salem State University and coached women’s basketball at Elon University and Syracuse University. Lakisha and her husband reside in Alamance County, with their young son.
Katherine Fitzsimmons
Triangle
Katherine completed her undergraduate degree in Sociology at St. Bonaventure University and earned her Master of Social Work degree from Binghamton University. Her passion is working with and advocating for women, youth, and children. She has worked for more than 10 years facilitating kinship, international, and domestic adoptions; eight of those years were working for the Independent Adoption Center here in Raleigh. Katherine also has a background in crisis management in a hospital setting. When she is not working, she can be found volunteering at her sons’ school, exploring the Raleigh-Durham area, or baking yummy sweets!!
Jessica Otolinsky
Asheville
Jess completed her undergraduate degree in Communication at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and earned her Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Messiah College. Her professional experience includes case management, education, women’s behavioral health including a focus on pregnant mothers, and working with kinship and domestic adoptive families who have experienced trauma. Jess is a native of central Pennsylvania though loves living in Asheville with her significant other. When she is not working, she is likely caring for her puppy and dog, painting, practicing yoga, camping or planning her next road trip to see family and friends or have an adventure in some new place!
Sylvia Senbel
Charlotte
Sylvia is a graduate of Western Carolina University, where she earned a Bachelor of Social Work. She also received her Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina. Sylvia has been working with children and families for more than 19 years. She enjoys gardening, reading, hiking, and spending time with her husband and three boys. She also loves animals, especially her dog Jazzy.
Rachelle Garren
Wilmington
I am originally from Pennsylvania but moved to North Carolina 6 years ago. I have a two-year-old son, 2 dogs, and a cat! I got my undergraduate degree in psychology at Misericordia University in Pennsylvania. I earned my Master's degree in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. I have worked with children in a preschool setting for three years and worked with children and families for the last year as a therapist. Most of my experience is with children and adults who experienced trauma or substance use problems. I am very excited to be working with the adoption agency!
