Can I adopt my stepchild who was born in another country in Pennsylvania?

Yes, you can ask a Pennsylvania court to approve a stepparent adoption of a stepchild born in another country. The petition goes to the Orphans' Court in your county. A few points are specific to a foreign birth, and the Orphans' Court clerk in your county or an attorney should confirm those for your situation.

The Pennsylvania basics that apply to your case:

• Court: Your petition is filed in Orphans' Court in your county.
• Residency: Pennsylvania has no minimum residency period for this type of adoption (23 Pa.C.S. § 2302).
• Your stepchild's consent: If your stepchild is 12 or older, the child's consent is part of the process (23 Pa.C.S. § 2711).
• The other parent: Pennsylvania requires the other biological parent's consent and proper notice to that parent. If the parent does not consent, the case can turn on abandonment, which the data ties to a period of 6 months (23 Pa.C.S. § 2511). If that parent lives abroad or cannot be found, Pennsylvania has procedures for serving notice by publication when a parent cannot be located. How notice works for a parent in another country depends on the facts, so ask the clerk or an attorney about your specific situation.
• Home study: It is waived in stepparent adoptions (23 Pa.C.S. § 2531(c); § 2535(a)).
• Timeline: Stepparent adoptions in Pennsylvania typically take 3-6 months.

What is different when your child was born abroad:

• Documents: You will want your stepchild's foreign birth certificate. Whether the court requires an official English translation or any other proof of identity or birth is something the Orphans' Court clerk in your county can confirm.
• A new birth record: After the adoption, you may want an updated birth record. Ask the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records what it can issue for a child born outside the United States. The adoption