When you adopt a child, you agree to care for that child just as you would your own. Unfortunately, there is a chance that your marriage might not last. This means that you’ll have to go through the child custody process with the adopted children. There are some special considerations that you need to think about if you’re in this position.
A primary concern for these children, especially if they were adopted at an age beyond infancy, is whether they are still going to have a family. They might be concerned that they are losing their forever parents because of the divorce. As a parent, you’ll have to reassure them that they are still loved but that they’ll just be loved between two homes.
You’ll go through all the same child custody points as any other parent does when they go through divorce. This includes determining the parenting time schedule and similar matters. You’ll also work on the terms of who makes decisions for the children.
Try to work the terms of the parenting plan out as soon as you can. You can discuss them with the children so that they know what to expect. Having a talk with both parents and the kids might help them realize that they aren’t losing the adults they count on, which may alleviate some of their worry.
Remember that you need to set the parenting plan based on what they need right now. It is possible to modify the agreement down the road as their needs and your circumstances change. You should always put the child’s needs first as you’re thinking about the terms of agreement.
