Adoption Foster Care

Adoption is a process of transferring legal rights from one parent to another. This is a lifetime commitment among “Adoption Triad” who are Birth Parents, Adopted People, and Adoptive Parents.

Specialization in this field focuses on bringing and placing children to be permanent legal element of another family. It is the advocacy of human development agencies whether public or private to place foster children for adoption to provide a child with love, nurturing and stability.

The social workers strategically assessed and organized the suitability of an adoptive parent to care for a child, to have a harmless environment and understand the distinct needs of the adoptee.

The eligibility to be an adopting parent may, however, vary on the existing law of each State. For example, in the State of Louisiana, Kentucky, Montana, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Washington, you must be 18 years of age before acquiring the eligibility to adopt. Some other States like Colorado, Delaware, and Oklahoma, the eligibility of prospective parents set to be 21 years of age. Georgia and Idaho set the age for 25. Some States also requires eligibility of residency to be 60 days to 1 year. In Connecticut, gays and lesbians can be an adoptive parent in consideration with the provisions of the State laws regarding prohibitions in discriminating sexual orientation. These are just some of the laws that involved adoption.

The Home Study Process

In each case the adoption will go through a public agency, family need to undergo an adoption home study. The home study program is a written report about family background, neighborhood, physical health, criminal references, financial statements, references and any other information that will help in the decision process of both adoptive family and social workers. This program may take three to six months to finish. This is to gather necessary documents, to answer several questions and state the reasons for adoption. Remember, the information needed for this report may vary from one state to another. Some other States may also require completion of a pre-adoption course through the State Child Welfare Department.

Once the adoptive parent was approved to adopt, the needs and suitability of the adoptive child will then be matched and place to an adoptive family with the supervision of the social worker. If both parties agree with the arrangement, the adoptive family may then retain an attorney with regards to the legality of adoption, provided, there was termination of birth parent’s legal right. The legal adoption procedure involves a single court hearing ceremony. The lawyer may charge between $800 and $2000 for the adoption proceedings.

People decide to adopt because of so many reasons. The most popular are infertility and child abuse. Remember, things are to consider before making decisions. It is essential to have a basic understanding of the adoption processes in order to manage the emotional, mental and spiritual awareness of the adoptive family members. Various foster care systems offer online adoption services to provide comprehensive information that will help before considering adoption.

Are you happily married yet feel like there is something – rather, someone – missing in the family? If so, you two just might be one of those couples who are ready to welcome a child in their family. However, if it is not in the mother’s wishes to get pregnant herself or perhaps there are certain biological complications preventing conception, then the two of you should consider going for foster care adoption.

Many couples are confused about the difference between this and regular adoption. It’s pretty simple, really – with regular adoption, you get full legal, financial, and decision-making responsibility for the child who will be placed in your care. Also, the goal is not to eventually reunite the child with his original family, but for him or her to become a permanent member of yours.

The beauty of foster care is that it is a win-win situation for both the child and the foster parents. Couples who have long wished for a child of their own but do not have the capacity to produce any are able to experience caring for and loving a child who is practically their own by commitment. Foster children, on the other hand, are able to experience the love and the warmth of doting parents, and are brought up in a very secure, yet fulfilling environment.

Are you in the process of preparing yourself for foster care adoption as a parent? If so, remember that there are many things you should consider before making a final decision. Adoption is a big step and will affect not just you, but the rest of your family. If you have children already, this is also a topic that needs to be broached to them so that they are open about it. In this stage, open communication is very important not just between you and your spouse, but between you and every single member of your family. Remember, you need just as much support as the child who may just become part of your lives forever.

Foster parents need to be certain that they are at a point in their lives where they are physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially ready to take on a child (or another one, if there are already children). By entering into a foster care commitment, you are agreeing to support a child in all aspects. If this is something you cannot yet guarantee, then this isn’t the right time to consider adoption. It is only fair for the child to receive 100% care and commitment from his or her foster parents.