Adoption can bring joy to both the adopted child and the new parents.
The legal procedure for adoption focuses on the best interest of the child and protects the privacy of the child and the natural parents. The adoptive parent may be single or, if married, joined in the petition by the spouse. The adoptive parents file a petition for adoption in the county chancery court where they live or where the child was born, abandoned, or currently lives, including a foster home or institution. Accompanying the petition is a doctor's certificate stating the physical and mental health of the child and a sworn statement listing all the child's property. If the child has a mental or physical health problem, the adoptive parents must include an affidavit stating their awareness of the condition.