How are non-blood relative adoption procedures dealt with?

Question

Im writing a story- it involves adoption but I know nothing about it. In the story a woman gets pregnant but leaves the baby's father (bec. he hits her), she goes off with her new boyfriend. This boyfriend promises to help raise the baby w/her as if its his own, but she dies during childbirth, without leaving any real/ legal specifications of where her child should go incase of her death. The boyfriend keeps his promise & takes care of the child, years later the real father comes back & wants the kid. How can the boyfriend kept the child who calls him "daddy"? Would he have any legal leeway? What would he have to go through to legally keep/adopt the child? Is it even possible since he is not a blood relative to the child or to the child's mother, and the real father is still alive and well (even though he was in jail for hitting the childs mom)? What if the real dad dies? I would really appreshiate it if any1 out there could help me bec. i want the story to be as actual as possible thx

Answer 1

You might want to find a legal adoption councleor who will tell you. there are different laws for different states also However.....we have adopted four kids. all the same mom. the first two we got at the same time, and the dad kept wanting to keep them but he had financial problems mental problems and just couldnt keep them plus he had a police record which didnt help. so we ended up adopting them (threw foster program) well the mom had two more boys and we started to foster them too. the mom gave up her rights, and one dad couldnt be found (both of these boys are 1/2 mexican) and one father wanted to keep the baby who was 6 months at the time, he really fought to keep him, but he couldnt keep a job, didnt have a legal US drivers Licence couldnt find a babysitter to watch him so he could work, he had a record of abuse, physical and mental towards the mom, and had a record of moving a lot from different appartments, he wanted to send the baby to Mexico to live with his family, but the baby was born in the US so he was a US citizen. anyway it was a hard process, but we did get him, and have an open adoption, not legally binding, but an understanding with the birth mom and one of the birth fathers, the last one that lets them come see the kids if they call me first. I am not sure if I gave you any ideas for your book to make things work, but if I can answer any more questions, or be of help, let me know.