New Georgia Adoption Law Takes Effect Saturday
State lawmakers said the changes were long overdue and now match the rest of the country’s adoption laws.
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A new law takes effect Saturday that updates the state of Georgia’s adoption process by reducing wait times and placing fewer restrictions on prospective parents.
During a press conference Thursday, Georgia House Speaker David Ralston said the adoption law is the most important bill passed during the 2018 legislative session.
“The reason is very, very simple,” Ralston said. “All children deserve a family. Not some children. Not most children. All children. It is about to become easier for Georgians to adopt a child.”
More than 13,000 children in Georgia are in foster care.
The state’s new adoption law eliminates a requirement that individuals must be in Georgia for six months before they can adopt and also shortens the time that birth mothers can change their mind about putting a child up for adoption from 10 days to four days.
State lawmakers said the changes were long overdue and now match the rest of the country’s adoption laws.
Earlier versions of this bill stirred controversy because it would have allowed religious adoption agencies to reject same-sex couples seeking to adopt foster children.
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