Foster care is…

(hopefully) temporary care provided for a child when the child’s natural parents are unavailable for them. Unfortunately, some children are never able to return to their birth families, and remain in state supervised foster care until they are either adopted or reach adulthood.

Adoption is…

a lifelong commitment to a child

Kinds of adoption

• Infant adoption through a private agency, usually from a birth mother.
• Foreign adoption through an agency specializing in foreign adoptions.
• Adoption from relatives by way of an agency or attorney.
• Adoption from foster care

Adoption is governed by state law. Certain other kinds of adoption (for example, rehoming) are illegal.

• You must be a mature and responsible adult.
• You may rent or own your home, as long as you have stable housing.
• You must have adequate income to meet your family’s needs.
• You can work outside the home, stay at home or be retired.
• You may be married, divorced, widowed or single – with or without children.
• You and all adults in your home must pass a background screening.
• You must complete free special training and have an adoptive home study completed.

Pick up the phone to talk to your state’s child welfare staff or to a private adoption agency in your state. Many states and agencies have interest forms you can fill out online to receive more information. The process is similar in most states.

Most states also offer preliminary foster care and adoption information meetings, then training may be provided and a family home study will be completed. Some cost is dependent on whether you choose to go through a state child welfare agency or a private child placement agency.

In either case, before you can adopt you will need to have a current (within a year) home study. The home study fully explores your motivation to adopt and the type of children you are willing and able to parent.

Once this is done, you may call, e-mail or fill out an interest form on the child or sibling group you are interested in any state in the US. At this point, some state procedures differ; if you are considered a potential match for a child the child’s state “case worker” may contact either you or your “adoption agency worker” for an initial exchange of information, (i.e., your adoption preferences, your skills, maybe your home study, and the child’s special needs).

If both the child’s caseworker and your adoption agency worker agree that this may be a possible match you are contacted by your adoption worker. Your adoption worker will share additional information on the child or sibling group with you. If you are still interested then your home study is sent in to the child’s caseworker for review and a selection staffing is held for the child. Typically several family home studies are reviewed to make a selection for the children. It may take a while.

If you are selected, your adoption worker is advised and you will be allowed to read information about the children. If you are still interested then you will meet the children and have preplacement visits, maybe some overnight visits before the children are placed with you.

More detailed information can be found here .

Children grow best in families.

Yes. Some. Ask for details from your local agency.

• Adoption Tax Credit (applies to many states, too)
• State adoption subsidy payments may be available to parents adopting children with “special needs”.
• Medical assistance may be available for the child through age 18.
• Most expenses related to the adoption (such as court costs and attorney fees) are eligible for reimbursement. Some states may reimburse up to $1,000 for adoption finalization fees.
• Tuition waivers – Children adopted from some states are eligible to receive up to four years of paid college tuition at universities, colleges or vocational programs.
• Adoption Support Groups – Support groups for families may be available in your state or from your agency. Other community-based support groups and services may be available.

• You have to be rich.
• You have to own your house.
• You have to be married.
• You can’t have your own children.
• That it’s easy and that anyone can do it.
• That the foster parents always adopt the children.
• That the children are going to love you instantly.
• That you need to be a perfect parent.

Challenges Include:

• Sharing your life and home with children who are angry, hurt and scared.
• Sharing your life with children who have experienced losses and now spend their days anticipating the next one.
• Sharing your adopted children with all of the other “moms and dads” they have had.
• Loving children, whose past experiences will impact their ability and willingness to trust and become part of a new family.

“Adoptive parents know that solutions are never simple and there are no perfect roadmaps.”

• What Is Involved In Foster Care Adoption? is an overview of adoption licensing procedure.
• Your State’s Department of Child/Family/Human Services almost always has a page on how to get started.
• Your State or County’s Heart Gallery. We are here to answer questions.
• AdoptUsKids. A large federally funded adoption exchange with information on each state. An overview covers some alternatives.
• AdoptionAgencies.com A large website with information about all kinds of adoption agencies, including lists of agencies.
• Federal Child Welfare Information Gateway. Also has a list of agencies supporting all kinds of adoption.
• Many states also have proactive Adoption Exchanges listing both children (and sometimes families) seeking adoption.