mar 23, 1851 - 1851 Act to Provide for the Adoption of Children in Massachusetts (Kahan, 2006)

Description:

This act set precedents that are still relevant to today's adoption policies such as the children must be of first interest, and the judge must be the one evaluating the potential adoptive parents qualifications. This Act also set forth the process of requiring the state courts approval for adoptions. Many states followed Massachusetts new standards for adoption (Kahan, 2006)