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Adopting Children through a Public Agency (Foster Care)
Foster care adoption involves the adoption of children who are in the custody of their State or county's Department of Child and Family Services. These adoptions are usually handled by local public agencies and/or private agencies under contract with their State or county. In order for children to be "legally freed" for adoption, their birth parents must have either relinquished their parental rights or had their parental rights legally terminated by a court. Generally, there is no or little cost to adoptive parents when adopting a child from foster care. The majority of children adopted from foster care are adopted by their foster parents (approximately 54 percent) or by relatives (30 percent). Another 16 percent are adopted by adults who are not related to the child.
Many children in foster care have experienced abuse, neglect, and losses that may have left them with complex trauma. Being in the foster care system itself can be traumatizing for children. Parents adopting from foster care must be prepared to help children with behaviors that result from separation and loss of multiple relationships, out-of-home placements (sometimes multiple placements), and child abuse or neglect.
"Special Needs" Adoption: What Does It Mean?
Child Welfare Information Gateway (2010)
Presents common questions about adopting a child or youth with special needs and provides resources that will give prospective adoptive parents detailed answers.
Handbooks for Adoptive Parents
National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning
Links to States' child welfare agency handbooks that assist prospective adoptive parents in negotiating the foster care adoption process.
AdoptUsKids
Provides a national federally funded photolisting service of children in foster care waiting for permanent families. The photos and descriptions of waiting children can be viewed online, along with a wide array of adoption information and resources.
A Child Is Waiting: A Step by Step Guide to Adoption
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Offers basic information and resources to those considering adopting a child from foster care.
Answering the Call: Family Pocket Guide (PDF - 1370 KB)
AdoptUsKids
Helps prospective foster and adoptive parents track their progress from inquiry to placement of a child.
Foster Care and Adoption Self-Assessment Guide: A Useful Tool to Help You Make an Informed Decision About Fostering or Adopting a Child (PDF - 412 KB)
Iowa KidsNet
Provides information and self-assessment guides to persons considering foster parenting and/or special needs adoption.
Foster Parents Considering Adoption | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 512KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2012 - 9 pages |
Summarizes what foster parents should consider while deciding whether to adopt their foster child or youth. This factsheet does not address the specifics of how to adopt; it provides information on the differences between foster care and adoption, advantages of foster parent adoption, strategies for foster/adoptive families, and useful references. |
Helping Your Foster Child Transition to Your Adopted Child | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 255KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2012 - 12 pages |
Summarizes how foster/adoptive parents can help their child make the emotional adjustment to being an adopted child. Children and youth may not clearly comprehend the difference between being a foster child versus being an adopted child in the same family. This factsheet provides suggestions for talking with children about the changes from foster care to adoption, helping them understand their own histories and losses, helping them cope with trauma and transfer attachments, and useful resources. |
How to Adopt
North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC)
Provides an overview of the steps involved in adopting a child from the U.S. foster care system.
How to Adopt
Heart Gallery of America
Outlines basic steps to adopt a child from the foster care system.
Obtaining Background Information on Your Prospective Adopted Child | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 248KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2003 - 6 pages |
This fact sheet explains why it is important to obtain background information about a prospective child. It discusses where a family might find background information, what questions to ask about the child's medical, family, social, and placement history, and why information may not be available. It includes a list of resources for more information. |
Resources for Parents Adopting from Foster Care
Adoptive Families Magazine
Includes a collection of resources for prospective foster or adoptive parents and links to national organizations working to find homes for waiting children in the United States.
State Adoption Exchange Websites | |
Series Title: | Related Organizations Lists |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 0KB) |
Year Published: | 2011 - 4 pages |
Adoption exchanges provide adoption information to educate prospective adoptive parents and connect waiting families with waiting children. This resource list provides website addresses for State adoption exchanges. |
State Adoption Information Websites | |
Series Title: | Related Organizations Lists |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 0KB) |
Year Published: | 2011 - 12 pages |
Includes website links to adoption information provided by State child welfare agencies in all 50 States and the District of Columbia. Links to State adoption information in Spanish are provided when available. |
State Adoption Photolisting Services Websites | |
Series Title: | Related Organizations Lists |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 0KB) |
Year Published: | 2011 - 4 pages |
Photolisting services provide pictures and brief descriptions of the children in the State's foster care system who are available for adoption and waiting for families. This resource list provides website addresses for State photolisting services. |
State Guidelines
AdoptUsKids
Provides State-by-State specific information about foster parenting and adoption.
The Adoption Guide: Choosing Foster Care Adoption
Adoptive Families Magazine
Includes resources for foster adoption, personal stories by families who adopted foster children, and links to relevant national organizations.
Wednesday's Child
Freddie Mac Foundation
Provides information about the children featured in weekly Wednesday's Child television segments designed to help find permanent, loving, adoptive families for children in foster care.