Adopting a child from foster care is appealing to people for several reasons. It’s less expensive than traditional adoption, and you can provide a good home for a child in need. However, not everyone wants to go through the process of fostering a child before adopting. If you’re looking at straight adoption, you may wonder if it’s possible in foster care.
Adoption from Foster Care
A child is not usually available for adoption until all efforts to reunite them with their biological family have been exhausted. That being said, at some point, the courts will look at adoption if reunification isn’t a likely event.
There are many children in the system who are ready for their forever home. A family who is prepared to take this step can find children they are able to adopt without waiting to foster.
No rules exist that require all adoptive families to foster a child before adoption. This enables more interested families to have the opportunity to add to their family through adoption in foster care.
How Adoption Works in Foster Care
This article won’t attempt to explain the entire process of adopting through foster care. However, it’s important that you understand some of the basics so you know what you’re getting into if you decide to go this route for straight adoption.
Once it becomes apparent that a child may not be able to return home to his or her biological family, the court will make adoption either the only goal or a concurrent goal with reunification. The caseworker and team will begin a search for an adoptive family for the child.
To qualify as an adoptive parent, you will have to go through foster parent training. You will need to complete a home study and meet other requirements to be a foster parent. Once you’re licensed as a foster parent, you can have your home study submitted to be considered for an adoption.
What You Should Know
You will likely not be the only family interested in the child for adoption. The caseworker and others will consider all home studies to determine who is the best fit for the child. If the child has been in foster care and the foster parents are interested in adopting, they may get first consideration since the child has already been established in their home.
If your family is chosen as the adoptive placement, you may need to meet with the child and even have him or her spend time in your home for a while before the adoption takes place. If the child is older, he may also have some say as to whether he wants to live with your family.
Adopting a child from foster care is a wonderful way to add to your family. However, you do need to realize it can be a lengthy process, and it can take some time to find the right child to adopt. If you’re willing to go this route, you can give a child a loving home and grow your family through foster care.
Joyce Morse is a full-time content marketing writer who is also a single adoptive parent and current foster parent. She has a seven-year-old adopted daughter who is her inspiration. Her passion is to help others understand the miracle of adoption and the needs of children who are looking for their forever homes.