Search(s) Used: googled 'adoption New York City' 'New York Newborn Adoption Procedure' 'adoption newborn New York' visited New York Department of Family Services website and New York Adoption. For the second googled 'secret service protection' which took me to the official US Secret website. Also 'protection congress members threats' 'congress death threats' 'congress, assassination' 'member of congress bodyguards' 'congressional events security' 'USS Intrepid Museum Security'
For the first, back story is that two of the characters adopt a newborn infant (they are married and both men for further background). Now, I know the adoption procedure and background pretty well by now but I'm still unsure of a couple of things. Specifically, my co-author and I have it that they bring her home from the hospital on the day she was born - the birth mother had a healthy delivery, there were no complications and the paperwork/home study etc had already been completed.
In terms of New York state, I know that there's a supervisory period of three months afterwards before you can petition the judge but I couldn't manage to find exact information regarding adopting a newborn - is there anything specific I should know (I found this article through google but I'm not sure of accuracy).
The second is a little more complicated. Basically, there's an assassination attempt on one of our MC's who is by this point a member of the United States Congress. There's been prior death threats, he actually has a pair of FBI bodyguards for protection because of it (he's openly gay and married, which doesn't make for an easy campaign) but the shooting occurs at the re-opening of the USS Intrepid Museum dedication ceremony. How much security would be in place, beyond the two FBI agents already there protecting him - there's another political figure there (Senator) and a few local dignitaries. How easy would it be to get a gun in to the ceremony/get in there at all? (I'm going off the fact that Congressional candidates/members of Congress don't generally seem to get much protection - half the reason the MC did is due to friends with contacts).
Finally my google and search fu has totally failed on me here (my gosh, I kind of fail as an aspiring librarian or researcher sometimes) but in the hospital, would a god-daughter to whom the MC and his husband are legal guardians to in the event her parents die and whom they think of/consider their own, be allowed in to see him in intensive care (this would also be in New York City, hospital to be determined).
Thank you very much in advance for any help *smiles*
