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Adoption Agency Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the children in foster care? 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. 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. Virtually every race, ethnic group and socio-economic category is represented. Some children are waiting alone and others are waiting with siblings. (Dave Thomas Foundation) Legal Risk vs. Legally Free: Many states are very pro active about finding adoptive placements while children are still considered legal risk because the state would like to avoid large numbers of children being wards of the state. Some states do everything possible to keep the number of children considered orphans low and work hard to find adoptive families before the child is considered a waiting child. Usually, children with legal risk status are only shown to families within the state with a hope to find an adoptive placement before the termination of parental rights is completed. A legal risk adoption is one where a prospective adoptive child is placed in your home before the parental rights have been terminated. This means that the parental rights of said child have yet to be terminated, although, adoption is the plan. Many state agencies begin a family’s case with reunification as a goal for the biological parents. As time goes on, if the parents are not making the necessary progress, a concurrent plan for termination of parental rights (TPR) may be made. Legally Free A child in state foster care who is "legally free" for adoption is a child who's birth parents rights have been terminated by the state.This means the child is a ward of the state and has no legal parents. All the paper work is done, and there is no risk that a child placed for adoption will not be adopted by the family selected as the pre adoptive placement. What is a SNAC agency? An Agency who works with special needs adoptions. An adoption is usually considered "special needs" if the child is over six years old, part of a sibling group, has some physical, mental or emotional disabilities, or is part of an ethnic minority. What is Matching Assistance? This program was created to aid families through the adoption process. We are committed to assisting families, caseworkers and adoption workers in the effort to place children in adoptive homes. With a special "Log on Web site" geared towards parents, a liaison they can call and an ever growing private listing web site of many more children that can’t be seen on a public site, our program assists struggling families during the adoption process. Is the Matching Assistance Program a part of A Family for Every Child Adoption Agency? How much does it cost to adopt? While it does not cost to adopt from the state foster care system, there are fees with choosing a private agency to write your home study/assessment. The fees for private agencies vary considerably. View A Family for Every Child's Fee Schedule for details. Where do I take the required training? Each state requires training to become an adoptive parent, it varies by state. The training sessions vary by area/location, 4 to 10 weeks, or weekend sessions. You will want to check into what is available in your area.
What is a Home Study? The home study is both a process and a document required by the government for every adoption to make sure that your home is a safe and healthy place for a child and that you are well-prepared to become parents. A Home Study can only be used for one adoption (sibling groups are considered one if done at the same time). Learn how to get started, or refer to our Foster/Adoption Inquiry Form. Who selects the family for a child/children? In some states the caseworker of the child makes the decision, in other states it is decided by a committee of professionals in the adoption field. Consideration of a family is done by reading the family home study/assessment.
For more information contact: Heather Smith Christy Obie Barrett-Founder and Executive Director
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