What is Adoption?
Adoption is a permanent, legal transfer of all parental rights from one person or couple to another person
or couple. Adoptive parents have the same rights and responsibilities as parents whose children were
born to them. At the time the adoption is finalized, the adopted child’s name is legally changed, and an
amended birth certificate is issued.
Who can adopt?
- Regular everyday people
- People who live in apartments, mobile homes or houses
- People who rent and those who own their home
- People of all ages, races and faiths
- People who are married and those who are single
- People who already have children and those who do not
- People who are not perfect – who have had struggles in the past- who have learned from their
experiences – who feel ready to commit to a child who has also had struggles in their past.
Who are the children?
Many children are in foster care because they were removed from their families due to abuse,
neglect or abandonment. The children might live temporarily with extended family, a foster family or in a
group home while social workers try to help the birth family remedy the issues that brought the child into
foster care. If the birth family’s problems cannot be resolved, the agency that has custody of the child
goes to court to legally terminate parental rights. At this point, social workers try to find a safe and loving
adoptive family for the child. Ages range from infants to teenagers, although the average age is 8.
Virtually every race, ethnic group, and socio-economic category is represented. Some children are waiting
alone, and others are waiting with siblings.
Help for Adoptive Families
Although there are thousands of suitable parents, many do not start the adoption process because they
think the process is costly and unmanageable. The truth is that there is usually no cost to adopt children
from the foster care system through Adoption Advocacy. Parents receive support in the form of training,
monthly adoption assistance, and Medicaid.
Foster Care Adoption Facts
- There are over 430,000 children in the U.S. foster care system; of these more than 125,000 children are available for adoption. For most of these children, their birth parents’ legal rights have been permanently terminated and children are left without a family.
- Children often wait three years or more to be adopted, move three or more times in foster care and often are separated from siblings.
- Every child is adoptable. Many children in foster care have special needs. All of them deserve the chance to grow up in a safe, loving, permanent home. Support and other post-adoption resources are available.
- Adopting from foster care is permanent. Once a child is adopted from foster care, the birth parents cannot attempt to claim them or fight in court for their return. A family formed through foster care adoption is forever.
- Nearly 40 percent of American adults, or 81.5 million people, have considered adopting a child, according to the National Adoption Attitudes Survey. If just one in 500 of these adults adopted, every waiting child in foster care would have a permanent family.
Steps to Adoption
- Contact Us
- Application
The application is completed and returned to Adoption Advocacy. - Home Visits/Interviews
An adoption worker will visit your home to discuss adoption, answer questions, and complete the
adoptive home study/ home assessment. - Adoptive Home Study Report
The home study is an in-depth assessment of the family. The home study provides social workers
with detailed information needed to place children in your care. You will submit relevant documents
such as birth certificate, marriage license, income tax returns, and medical reports. All adults in your
home must be fingerprinted and cleared through the State Central Registry for Abuse and Neglect,
SLED and FBI. - Matching Process /Selection
Adoption Advocacy will work with various state social service agencies to match you with a child or
sibling group. Adoptive parents are selected by a committee of adoption professionals based on
the needs of the child and the family’s ability to meet the child’s needs. - Placement
Visits will take place between the parents and child prior to placement of the child in your home.
Adoption Advocacy will supervise the placement until finalization. - Finalize the Adoption
It will take approximately 3-6 months before the adoption can be finalized. Your adoption
petition will be reviewed in family court.