While the legal process of a stepparent adoption severs the ties between the child, and his or her non-custodial biological parent, it does not mean, in all cases, that it must cut that biological parent out of the child’s life completely.

Not all stepparent adoptions must be, or are performed, in order to cut a non-custodial parent out of a child’s life altogether. In some cases it is simply in the best interest of the child, for him or her to live in a home with two legal parents. If the non-custodial parent lives across the country, or even out of the states, it can be hard on the custodial parent to fully take care of the child, when the other legal parent is hard to get a hold of for urgent matters and or decisions that require the consent of both legal parents of the child.

By the non-custodial parent allowing a stepparent adoption to occur, he or she will be allowing the child to have a stable household, as well as having two parents in the home, who can take care of any matter, regardless of what it is, or when it occurs.

If the idea of a stepparent adoption is approached to a non-custodial parent as more of an open adoption, he or she may be more willing to consent to the adoption, after being given some time to think the idea over and consider the benefits to the child. However it is important for the custodial parent, as well as the potential adoptive stepparent, to uphold, any and all promises that is made to the non-custodial parent in regards to contact after the stepparent adoption takes place.

If the adoption is to be as an open adoption, then before offering the idea to the non-custodial parent, the custodial and stepparent need to sit down together, and decide what it is that they want out of the stepparent adoption. It is important for both to examine their personal motivations behind the adoption, and make sure that neither parent is simply looking for the easiest way to push the non-custodial parent out of the child’s life. Once it is established that all the motivations behind the adoption are for the child’s best interest, and that there are no underlying motivations, the two parents must then sit down, and decide how, if at all, the child’s relationship will change with his or her non-custodial parent.

If there is no intention on changing the relationship, or amount and types of contact that the child is to have with the non-custodial parent, and there are no ulterior motives from either the custodial, or stepparent for the stepparent adoption to occur, than there should be no problem with writing up an agreement, or contract, outlining what will happen after the stepparent adoption takes place, and presenting it to the non-custodial parent. Having a written agreement may help the non-custodial parent to see that both the custodial parent, as well as the potential adoptive stepparent, are looking out only for the child’s best interest, and are not looking to push the non-custodial parent out of the child’s life.

As long as the non-custodial parent is not a threat, or harm to the child in any way, there is no reason as to why an open stepparent adoption cannot take place. The child will be able to have his or her full needs taken care of at home with the parents whom he or she resides with, as well as having the benefit of maintaining a relationship with his or her non-custodial parent.