Can a step-grandparent adopt a grandchild in Missouri?

A step-grandparent may be able to adopt a grandchild in Missouri, because the adoption law lets "any person desiring to adopt" petition and states no minimum age (RSMo § 453.010). Whether it works for your family depends on facts that the Circuit Court clerk or an attorney should confirm.

Step-grandparent adoption is not the same as stepparent adoption. Stepparent adoption is when you are married to the child's parent. As a step-grandparent, you are married to the child's grandparent. The special stepparent process may not apply to you in the same way. Missouri law on how consents are handled for a step-grandparent, and who must be notified or give consent, is something to confirm with the clerk of the Circuit Court in your county or with an attorney. This matters most if a parent is unknown, absent or opposed.

What Missouri's rules tell us:

• Court: Adoption petitions are filed in the Circuit Court. For adult adoptions, the juvenile division of the circuit court handles them.
• Residency: Missouri has no minimum residency period (RSMo § 453.010).
• Child's consent: A child who is 14 or older has a consent role in the adoption (RSMo § 453.030).
• Abandonment: Missouri uses a 6-month abandonment period (RSMo § 453.040). Whether it applies to your situation is a fact-specific question for the court or an attorney.
• Home study: Missouri waives the home study in stepparent adoptions (RSMo § 453.070). Ask the clerk whether it would be waived for a step-grandparent, since you are not the child's stepparent.

If your grandchild is already 18 or older: Missouri treats this differently. The adult's own written consent alone is sufficient, and the parental consents in RSMo § 453.030 apply only when the person being adopted is under 18. A hearing is still required, and if you are married, your spouse may join the petition. Adult adoptions typically take 4-8 weeks, compared with 3-6 months for a stepparent adoption of a minor.

Cost and timing: Court filing fees in Missouri typically run $200-$500, and a stepparent adoption can usually be completed for under $1,000 in total, compared with $3,000-$5,000+ with an attorney.