More and more grandparents have taken on the responsibility of raising and caring for their grandkids. In many cases, grandparents assume these responsibilities informally, meaning that they do not adopt or pursue a legal relationship with their grandchildren.
However, adopting your grandchild when you’re already providing for their care comes with many rewards.
The rewards that come with grandparent adoptions
In our San Antonio and Bear County, TX, family law firm, we have assisted many people wishing to formalize an existing arrangement by adopting their grandkids. As such, we have developed an insight into the advantages that arise in these situations. They include:
Emotional rewards
For example, adopted grandchildren often develop an increased sense of familial security from knowing that they have a permanent, stable home. In another example, the grandparents who choose to adopt often experience a sense of relief from knowing that no one can come and take the children away.
Practical rewards
Adoption further benefits kids and their grandparents by simplifying some tasks and responsibilities that may have been impractical before adoption. When grandparents have legal authority over their grandchildren, making decisions involving the following issues becomes less complicated:
- Healthcare and treatment
- Educational matters
- Religion, faith and lifestyle
- Curfews and house rules
Adoption also helps grandparents better address the financial costs of raising their grandchildren. For example, adopting may enable grandparents to add their grandkids to their existing health insurance plans, which means fewer out-of-pocket expenses to pay when the kids need healthcare.
We encourage grandparents who are already caring for their grandkids to learn about adoption in Texas. Continuing to review our family law web pages can help you learn more about accomplishing this goal.