After having developed a strong relationship with your grandchildren in Indiana, you would likely be willing to do whatever you could to keep that relationship going even if something were to happen affecting your adult child’s parental status. Oftentimes, grandparents come to us here at Schemb’s Law after the state has taken custody of their grandchildren and approved their adoption by another family wondering if they can retain the right to keep in contact with them.
In many cases, if your grandchildren are removed from the custody of your adult child, the state may approach you to assume either temporary or full-time custody. If, however, your circumstances do not allow for that, then the kids may be placed with another biological relative. If that relative eventually adopts them, you can retain an already established visitation schedule under the Indiana Family Code provided that person is related to your grandchildren in the following way:
- A stepparent
- Another grandparent
- A sibling
- An aunt or uncle
- A niece or nephew
If, on the other hand, your grandchildren are placed into foster care and later adopted by someone to whom neither you nor they have any biological relationship, any visitation agreement you may have had previously automatically ends once such an adoption is finalized. Now, that is not to say that all contact with your grandchildren must cease. You may reach out to their adoptive parents to try and arrange an informal visitation agreement. Such an agreement, however, can only be made at their discretion.
More information on your rights as a grandparent can be found by exploring the remainder of our site.
