(a) A petition for adoption may be filed when the requirements of § 904 of this title have been met, the child is legally free for adoption, and the adoptive placement of the child has been supervised for a period of 6 months by the Department or licensed agency.
(b) In the case of a child to be adopted by a stepparent, guardian, permanent guardian or a blood relative, the petition for adoption shall be filed only after the child has resided in the home of the petitioner for at least 1 year; except that, on recommendation of the Department or licensed agency, a petition may be filed after 6 month's continuous residence of the child in the petitioner's home. In the case of adoption by a stepparent, guardian, permanent guardian or blood relative, it is not necessary that the child be legally free prior to the filing of the petition.
Structure Delaware Code
§ 902. Jurisdiction and venue; removal of petitioner from county.
§ 903. Persons eligible to petition to adopt.
§ 904. Placement and supervision for adoption.
§ 905. Appeal from decision of the Department or licensed agency.
§ 906. Contents of petition for adoption.
§ 910. Withdrawal of petition.
§ 912. Social study and report.
§ 913. Time for filing the adoption petition.
§ 914. Death, divorce, annulment, separation of petitioner pending proceeding.
§ 918. Finality of decree of adoption.
§ 919. General effect of adoption.
§ 920. Effect of adoption on inheritance.
§ 921. Report of vital statistics data.
§ 923. Confidential nature of information; old and new birth certificates.
§ 924. Confidential nature of Court records.
§ 925. Inspection of Court records.
§ 926. Receiving child into State for adoption.
§ 927. Foreign adoptions; validity.
§ 928. Contributions and fees.
§ 929. Exchange of identifying information.