Should parents have the right to reverse an adoption if they regret it within the first year?

The question of whether parents should have the right to reverse an adoption within the first year if they regret it brings to light the deeply emotional and legally complex nature of forming families through adoption. Adoption is the legal process by which an adult assumes permanent parental rights and responsibilities for a child who is not their biological offspring. Once finalized, adoption traditionally creates an irrevocable parent-child relationship, similar in status to birth. Historically, practices around reversing adoptions have varied widely. In ancient Rome, adoption was often a strategy for wealthy families to secure heirs, and reversals could occur if the adopted son failed to meet expectations. In medieval Europe, informal fostering arrangements could be dissolved without much legal formality. By the 19th and 20th centuries, as modern child welfare systems developed, most countries began to treat adoption as a binding commitment designed to ensure stability and protect children from repeated disruptions. In contemporary systems, there are usually pre-adoption placements or trial periods—sometimes called “foster-to-adopt” arrangements—where prospective parents and children live together before the legal finalization. This process aims to reduce the likelihood of later regret. Once an adoption is finalized, undoing it typically requires court action and is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.