A sweeping reform aimed at streamlining Ohio’s adoption process is nearing completion. The Adoption Modernization Act, or House Bill 5, unanimously passed the Ohio Senate and now awaits final approval from the Ohio House before heading to Governor Mike DeWine’s desk.
What’s in the Adoption Modernization Act?
House Bill 5 promises significant updates to Ohio’s adoption process, addressing long-standing inconsistencies and challenges. The bill introduces several key changes:
- Expanded Waiting Period Flexibility: Foster-to-adopt families currently face a six-month waiting period before an adoption can be finalized. H.B. 5 allows time spent in foster care to count toward this requirement, extending this provision to kinship caregivers for the first time.
- Increased Financial Support for Birth Mothers: The bill doubles the financial assistance for pregnant mothers, increasing the cap from $3,000 to $6,000 to help cover living expenses during pregnancy.
- Inclusive Adoption Provisions: Adults with developmental disabilities would become eligible for adoption, adding to the existing law that permits adoption only for adults with intellectual disabilities.
- Protections for Trafficking Victims: Courts could reconsider finalized adoption decrees if evidence emerges that the adopted child was a victim of trafficking.
- Simplified Foreign Adoptions: For international adoptions, the bill streamlines finalization, automatically recognizing foreign adoption decrees if the adoptive parents are Ohio residents and the child has the necessary IR-3 or IH-3 visa.
These provisions aim to reduce delays and bureaucratic hurdles, providing much-needed relief to families navigating the adoption system.
Bipartisan Efforts Shape the Bill
The Adoption Modernization Act has strong bipartisan roots, led by State Reps. Sharon Ray, R-Wadsworth, and Rachel Baker, D-Cincinnati. Their personal connections to adoption fueled their commitment to the bill. Ray, adopted as a child, and Baker, an adoptive mother of three, worked closely with Ohio probate judges to craft meaningful changes.
“This isn’t just about policy—it’s personal,” Baker said in an earlier statement.
Probate judges routinely review Ohio’s adoption laws, and their input was critical in shaping the bill’s provisions. The result is a law designed to improve consistency across the state and address gaps that complicate the adoption process.
Addressing Anxiety in Adoption
State Senator Paula Hicks-Hudson, D-Toledo, emphasized the emotional relief this bill could bring to families.
“It’s a good bill,” Hicks-Hudson said during the Senate session. “It will shave off some of the anxiety and problems families and children experience in limbo under the current processes.”
With over 3,300 Ohio children waiting to be adopted, according to AdoptUSKids, the need for efficiency is urgent. The changes introduced by H.B. 5 could alleviate some of the systemic delays that leave children without permanent homes.
Next Steps
Before becoming law, the Ohio House must concur with Senate amendments. The House had unanimously passed the bill last year, signaling strong support for the legislation. If the House agrees, H.B. 5 will land on Governor DeWine’s desk for final approval.
The Ohio House is scheduled to reconvene on December 4, marking a key date for the future of the Adoption Modernization Act.
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