Hello,
I need an advice for the child adoption/abandonment case.
I am a naturalized US citizen born in Ukraine. Four years ago a good friend from Ukraine came to visit. She was 6 month pregnant but separated from her Ukrainian boyfriend who apparently was the child?s father to be. My friend decided to have her child be born in US so I helped her with all birth and labor related issues. When the child was born and she was asked mother?s and father?s name for birth certificate, she wrote my name and DOB as fathers! A month later she left US with her new US citizen daughter. Now she started having problems with her daughter?s US passport, immigrations from Ukraine to Germany and most importantly with child adaptation by her new German boyfriend.
To adapt the child current father has to officially abandon the child. So they want me to do the child abandonment in California so the new father can adopt the child in Germany and are willing to pay all legal expenses. I have read that child abandonment in a criminal act in many states.
Please let me know what legal problems I will face if I do child abandonment in California. Or please give me advice how this situation could be resolved without any child abandonment on my part.
One important detail ? The child?s real father can be contacted in Ukraine but his name as father is not mentioned in any document.
Thanks a lot!

Which country is doing the adoption? Ukraine or Germany?

After we know that then there may be a way to do this outside of a California court so long as all parties agree. But first we need to examine which laws effect your case.

They prefer to do the adoption in Germany but the child cannot come to Germany because her US passport is expired. To renew the passport US Consulate requires presence of two parents or notorised letter from a parent who cannot be present. I do not want to send such letter because I am afraid this would sound like official acknowledgement that I am a father which I am not. Plus my last name is misspelled in the birth certificate. Plus in Ukraine they require a letter from a father to allow a child to move to a different country. So if it is possible they would do the adoption in Ukraine through US and German embassies.

You are already involved in this and since your name is on the birth certificate you are the presumed legal father. So just give your permission for the passport. Then your permission to travel for Ukriane. Then after they relocate to germany and meet the legal residency requirements. Sign off as needed so the child can be adopted. Your not in trouble for being co-operative.

Abandonment, in CA is leaving a child with no adult supervision. That is not the case here and there is no way you could or would be prosecuted for it in CA.

So it makes sense for you to give permission for the adoption, once the adoption is completed, your responsibility for the child ends. Your only other choice is to have the real father challenge paternity.

Thank you very much for your help! I feel much better.