Adopting A Child from the Foster Care System, Page 3
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HOW DO I FIND AN ADOPTION AGENCY?
In order to adopt a child from the foster care system you must work with an adoption agency in your state of residency. The number of available agencies varies from state to state. The best place to start looking for an agency is to contact your public child welfare office. Here is a list of the state agencies.
When inquiring about adoption, clearly state you are interested in adopting a child from the foster care system. Your local agency may handle adoptions and conduct homestudies out of their office. If not, they will give you the names and contact information of agencies they contract with.
You can also look in the yellow pages of the phone book to locate private adoption agencies that work with adoptions from the foster care system. Generally, private agencies complete homestudies faster than government agencies; however, private agencies charge a fee for the service, and government-funded agencies do not.
When contacting agencies, ask pertinent questions so you get all the information you need about what each agency does, and what is required of you in the adoption process. Some of the questions to ask include:
- What is involved in the homestudy process?
- Are there mandatory family education and preparation courses?
- When and where are the courses, and who in your family should attend?
- Approximately how long will it take to complete the homestudy process?
- How many placements of children from the foster care system have they made in the last year?
- What services are available once a child is placed in your home?
- Are there parents you can speak with who have successfully adopted through the agency?
- Once you have completed the homestudy process, if the agency doesn't have a child available, will they help you identify a child through other sources (internet and printed photolistings)?
- Has the agency experienced any failed adoptions, where the children have been returned to foster care, in the past three years?
Add the following questions for private agencies:
- Are they a licensed adoption agency?
- What fees will you need to pay?
- How do they locate children available for adoption?
- Are the children they represent legally free for adoption?
If you have more than one agency to choose from, remember, you will be working with the agency you select to complete your homestudy, to search for and select a child, to be supervised for 6 to 12 months once the child is placed in your home. It is important you trust the agency, and are comfortable with their expertise, services, and communication.
