Adoption is a wonderful process of creating families, but it also involves quite a bit of paperwork. If you thought that all that paperwork is done before the adoption, unfortunately, there is still lots of paperwork to do after the adoption is finalized. If you want to do it right until the very end, make sure everything is done properly. There are some important things to consider in the weeks after your child’s adoption is finalized.

Birth Certificate

Your child’s original birth certificate may be kept and sealed after adoption so a new birth certificate can be created. Once you finalize the adoption process, a new certificate is going to be created, which will state your child’s adopted name, as well as list you and your partner as the birth parents. This could cause problems for your child later in life, so do your best to get a copy of the original birth certificate.

Social Security

Obtaining a social security number is important for filing taxes. The documentation you need to add a new card for your child is a birth certificate or a certified copy of the adoption order.

Medical Insurance

After the adoption, it is also important to take care of your child’s medical insurance. You can add your child to your medical insurance plan. If you are covered by an individual plan, check the laws in your state to determine your rights. If you haven't already chosen a pediatrician for your child, now is the time to do so. Your child will need to see the doctor regularly for the first two years of life to ensure his or her health and development are on track.

Life Insurance & Will

It is important to be aware of the fact that your child is your responsibility. After the adoption, you will need to get life insurance and create a will to secure your child in case anything unpredictable happens. Think about the person you would like to leave your child with and add the guardian’s name to your will. This is something people don’t like to think about, especially in a joyous time like during an adoption, but it needs to be done. Doing it right after the adoption is much more practical simply because you you’re taking care of it at the same time as all the other paperwork and documentation updates.

Announcements

Finally...something fun! Create and send out adoption announcements to share the official new addition to your family. Check out one of our previous blog posts for some fun ideas for announcing your adoption.