| Misuse of Adoption Affecting Economic Rights |
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| Courts generally prohibit parties from using the adoption process to achieve purposes that would have a detrimental economic effect on the children involved. An attempt by a birth parent to adopt his or her own children for the purpose of terminating the other birth parent's relationship with the children is a misuse of adoption. Also, an agreement to release birth parents from support obligations in exchange for their consent to an adoption is a misuse of adoption. More... |
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| Domestic Violence and Custody Issues |
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| Domestic violence is conduct perpetrated by a spouse, family member, or any other person residing in the household. The State does not get involved in domestic violence issues unless the abuser has violated a criminal statute such as assault or battery. Violent events in the household constitute domestic violence if the victim is a family member or lives with the abuser.
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| International Child Abductions |
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| Family abduction or parental abduction is the taking of a child by a parent, in most circumstances. An international child abduction involves an additional element of crossing the nation's borders.
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| Adoption Under the Indian Child Welfare Act |
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| Whenever a proposed adoption involves a child who is of recognized Native American lineage, both federal and state laws govern the proceeding. The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA) is applicable to any adoption of a Native American child. The ICWA is not an adoption code, but it contains jurisdictional, procedural, and substantive provisions that pertain to adoptions. Pursuant to the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, ICWA provisions supplement or parallel any compatible state adoption laws and preempt any inconsistent or contradictory ones. More... |
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| Abortion Funding |
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| The Medicaid program was initiated to provide federal financial assistance to states that chose to reimburse the costs of certain medical procedures to needy individuals. In 1976, the Hyde Amendment was passed. The Hyde Amendment severely limited the use of federal funds to reimburse for costs associated with abortions. More... |
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