Information about public fostering and adoption?
As someone considering adoption, I’ve obviously been researching extensively to better educate myself and one of the conclusions that I’ve come to is that before seriously considering international adoption I should seriously consider adoption within the U.S. I watched some clips from Adopted the Movie (I think that’s what it’s called) and it was definitely informative. When I say U.S. adoption I am not necessarily talking about private agency, newborn adoption. I want to research public adoption and fostering. Does anyone have any advice about this path? Does anyone have any good resources that they can recommend I take a look at?
Dear Angela;
We are fostering-to-adopt a little boy through the state. We have had a wonderful experience with the entire process, though many in here have had differing experiences. We did not opt for the parents’ rights to be terminated (TPR) before our child was placed in our home….mainly b/c it can take years for that to happen….and the child will simply wait in foster care. State agencies do not place children in adoptive homes who have a high probability of being returned to their first parents. Those children usually remain in foster care….and are not adoptable. Our child’s mother hasn’t seen her child in 11 months, and he is 14 months old. B/C neglect is considered grounds for TPR….along with the other factors of her case…..it is highly unlikely that she will ever regain custody. Parents, grandparents, other relatives are all contacted for placement before the child is available for adoption to an outside source. Q 14. Are there U.S. public adoption agencies working in foreign countries?
In most states, you must wait 1 full year before the adoption is finalized….primarily b/c the agency will need to make regular visits and be positive that the child is flourishing under your care.
Our process (paperwork, background, homestudy, and training) took 11 months. After that you wait. We waited a mere 3 months for our call….but depending on the specifics of your requests, you could wait longer. If you are seeking a white baby, you will likely wait for a while. We requested a child that could communicate and bond with us…regardless of race, sex, age, etc.
Anyway, there is a ton more to say, but the best place to go is probably your local CPS. I can’t say enough about our case workers and their love and devotion to our child. I also can’t tell you how truly unbelievable our child is and how much joy he brings to our lives. His road will be hard as he seeks out his identity and deals with his losses….but we will be there with him and for him every step of the way.
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