Second Parent Adoption | Connecticut

A joint adoption is when both partners adopt a child together at the same time. A second-parent adoption is when one partner adopts the other partner’s child. A single-parent adoption is where a single individual adopts a child.

Yes.  A couple with a marriage or civil union must generally adopt a child not born into the relationship as a couple (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 45a-732 (married person cannot adopt unless spouse adopts jointly, unless probate court finds sufficient reason for spouse not to adopt)). A couple who does not have a marriage or civil union can both become legal parents of a child through a process, called “second parent adoption,” whereby one adopts (or gives birth to the child), and then the second parent adopts (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 45a-724(a)(3)).

Both joint adoptions and second parent adoptions ensure your child has two legal parents, which often provides greater comfort and security to everyone involved. Depending on your particular family situation, the law may not recognize both partners as legal parents without an adoption. In these cases, the non-legal parent needs special permission to make medical decisions for the child or attend school meetings, and is at risk of losing custody if the couple splits up.

收养使非法定父母成为法定父母，有权在未经特别授权的情况下为孩子做出决定。收养还允许收养父母在其伴侣去世后自动获得孩子的监护权。同样，如果收养父母去世，即使没有遗嘱，孩子也有权继承其遗产，并可能获得社会保障遗属福利。

最后，如果夫妻分居，收养可以确保父母双方都拥有监护权和探视权，并且任何纠纷都将根据孩子的最大利益来决定，而不是根据谁是法定父母来决定。

A second parent adoption is the best way to ensure the ongoing parental rights of both parents. While Connecticut law presumes that a child born into a marriage or a civil union is the child of both spouses (see Barse v. Pasternak, 2015 Conn. Super. LEXIS 142 (2015) (legal presumption that child born into wedlock is the legitimate child of the mother and mother’s spouse extends to same-sex couples, even if the spouse did not conceive or adopt the child or comply with artificial insemination statutes)), another state may not respect that presumption if you or your partner moves. By contrast, adoption is a court judgment creating a parent-child relationship and is very likely to be respected by other states, even if these states are otherwise hostile to same-sex couples parenting.

米勒-詹金斯侧边栏

依赖伴侣的善意，甚至依赖孩子是在婚姻或民事结合中出生的事实，并非确保夫妻日后分居时父母双方权利持续有效的最佳方式。例如 米勒-詹金斯诉米勒-詹金斯案此案自2004年起进入诉讼程序，涉及佛蒙特州和弗吉尼亚州两个州的最高法院，并已多次上诉至美国最高法院。诉讼仍在进行中。

在该案中，珍妮特和丽莎在民事结合期间生下了孩子伊莎贝拉。珍妮特没有领养孩子。两人分居后，丽莎搬到了弗吉尼亚州，并利用没有领养孩子以及弗吉尼亚州法律对同性关系的歧视，阻止珍妮特与女儿接触。然而，弗吉尼亚州法院最终同意佛蒙特州法院有权做出监护权和探视权的决定。

在多次尝试说服丽莎允许珍妮特探视后，佛蒙特州家庭法院于2009年11月签发了一项命令，授权珍妮特负责伊莎贝拉的日常护理，同时赋予丽莎自由的探视权。监护权的移交原定于2010年1月1日进行。然而，丽莎未能按约定时间出庭，法院发出了逮捕令。丽莎和伊莎贝拉至今仍下落不明。

GLAD and local counsel represented Janet in the Vermont proceedings. For more information about the case, go to https://www.gladlaw.org/work/cases/miller-jenkins-v-miller-jenkins

不。签署了亲子关系确认书的父母无需通过共同收养程序来确立亲子关系。亲子关系确认书根据州法律确立了合法的亲子关系，相当于州法律下的亲子关系判决，并赋予您作为父母的所有权利和义务。根据联邦法律，亲子关系确认书相当于亲子关系的司法判决，应在所有州得到承认。

由于扩大亲子关系确认的渠道是一项新兴发展，一些父母可能更愿意在亲子关系确认之外，或者代替亲子关系确认，同时完成第二父母收养。为了了解对您的家庭最有利的方案，建议您寻求个性化的法律咨询。

As a general matter, the rights of a non-legal parent are limited. If a couple is unmarried, the law permits a non-legal parent to petition the Superior Court for visitation (but not custody) (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 46b-59). The court will grant visitation if it finds that: (1) a parent-like relationship exists between the non-legal parent, and (2) denying visitation would cause real and significant harm (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 46b-59(b)). Several Connecticut courts have allowed lesbian co-parents the right to visit with their children following a separation (see e.g. Antonucci v. Cameron, 25 Conn. L. Rptr. 509 (Conn. Super. Ct. Dept., Sept. 24, 1999) (allowing visitation to lesbian co-parent where visitation is in the best interests of the child); Laspina-Williams v. Laspina-Williams, 46 Conn. Supp. 165, 742 A.2d 840 (1999) (denying motion to dismiss of biological mother in co-parent visitation case)). A visitation award does not come with any child support obligations, but if support is offered, a legal parent may accept it.

Regardless of the status of a person’s legal rights, it is critical to remember that children form strong attachments to their parental caregivers regardless of legal labels. Separating a child from a person who has acted as their parent can be a devastating loss. Moreover, court proceedings to establish visitation will be painful and costly, so anything people can do outside of court to make decisions together about a child’s interests is strongly encouraged. See GLAD’s publication: 保护家庭：LGBT家庭标准 在 保护家庭：LGBT家庭标准.

可以采取多种措施，但没有一种措施能够提供第二父母收养的安全性。

共同抚养协议： 共同抚养协议是一份协议，阐明了父母对彼此角色的期望，以及在分居、残疾或死亡情况下的应对计划。虽然法院不一定能完全执行这些协议，因为法院必须根据孩子的最大利益做出监护权和探视权的决定，但它们是衡量夫妻双方未来关系的重要指标。 相信 符合儿童的最大利益，并可能影响法院的最终判决。

遗嘱： 法定父母可以指定监护人，在其去世后接管孩子的监护权。法院优先考虑此类意愿。但是，如果孩子另有法定父母在世，则该监护人将优先于指定的监护人。

授权书： 法定父母可以选择授予非法定父母对子女的授权委托书，允许非法定父母做出医疗或财务决定。授权委托书文件应定期更新。