Adoption through foster care?

Question

If you're looking to adopt, is the a big photo album that people can look through to see what the kids look like?

Or does the kid show up at your door one day like SURPRISE! LOL

JUST WONDERING

Answer 1

No.  And, no.

Usually, you go through a long process of being 'approved' as a foster or adoptive parent.  Then, you wait (somes for a couple of days, sometimes for years) until you get a call, that can come any time of day or night, from a case worker saying "we have a child who needs a home, can you take them?"  They give you some basic information on the child, but there is no 'selecting from a photo album'.  You can ask to be considered only for children who meet certain criteria, such as age, s*x, sibling group, high/low demand, etc.

Now, there is something like what you describe for some special case children.  Texas, for example, maintains a web site showing information on several children who are 'high demand' (special needs, older, etc).  People who are interested in adopting such children are given access to the site so they can learn more about the kids (not a photo album, more a dossier).  Also, I believe some private adoption agencies will also maintain similar web sites.

Answer 2

They do a psychological profile on the couple looking to adopt and try to match them with a kid. Then the couple decides if that's the kid or not.

Answer 3

They match you to the child's needs. If selected, you are shown pictures of the child. If you agree to go forward, you visit with the child in his/her current placement. Then, if you agree to go forward, the child is temporarily placed with you in a foster situation. The child remains a 'foster to adopt'' child until a certain period of time has passed, the agency has checked the home and visited to make sure the child is bonding and that the placement is going well, etc. At the end of this period, you can adopt. At any point prior, you can 'change your mind' though with children, you would never want to intentionally harm them emotionally or make them feel unwanted/unloved.

Answer 4

I'm voting for John McCain.

I think foster care if for the poor Ap's because they can't afford to adopt internationally.

International is the way to go. The women that give birth to the babies are too poor to come looking. They don't deserve even their own kids. Its not my fault they are poor.

Answer 5

Most states have an online listing of the children, in the care of social services, that are considered adoptable.  A great website, with fantastic staff is www.adoptuskids.com

Hope that helps, they have hundreds of children listed!

Answer 6

If you are adopting through foster care there are of course no surprises like the one you mention.  Children and prospective parents are supposed to be matched before hand, on paper, to ensure that they are a good fit.  Then discussions are held and trial visits are arranged.  Only then do they consider finalizing things once it appears to be a good fit.

Now, if the child is already in the home as a foster child and the foster parents decide to apply for adoption then naturally most of the preliminary meetings and trial periods are already done so decisions are pretty easy to reach by this time.

Thats the way it takes place in my jurisdiction anyway.  If it was anything else in other jurisdictions and corners were cut too much then I'd be disappointed.  

Answer 7

When we first started, they had a big binder (actually, a few of them) to look through with printouts of what are called "bulletins".  Each bulletin has a picture of the child, their first name, birth date, race and ethnicity, and a short blurb about the child's needs.  [ETA:  I sit corrected...apparently this isn't standard, either.  Call your local DHS to find out about their process.  But one way or another, you will have the opportunity to choose the child(ren) you will adopt.]

After the first visit to the agency, they started sending the bulletins through the mail whenever they got new ones.  Eventually, they started emailing them, and now they have all the bulletins online, password protected.

You choose the children who you feel prepared to parent, and ask you worker to submit your homestudy.  Once your homestudy is submitted, the process differs by state.  In Oregon, they choose three prospective families, and a committee decides between the three families who will parent the child (or sibling group).

ETA:  I forgot to mention, in some states, they don't allow straight adoption through foster care.  You'd have to foster to adopt, in which case, the whole bulletin thing is non-existent.  If you want to adopt, you'll have to foster, and in that case, the child comes straight to you.  But you'd be a foster parent for quite awhile.  You wouldn't immediately adopt the child.  It takes a year or more for the adoption process, and before you even get to that point, they have to terminate parental rights, which only comes after the natural parents have time to complete any requirements the state has given them.

Answer 8

you can meet the child before hand. we adopted 4 children through foster care. they called us and said we have 4 children in need of a home. we just had them come to us without knowing them, but being foster care you can do a "trial run" if for some reason and a good reason they dont bond with you or you with them, they will find another home. NO they are not merchandise, but if the love is not there its not fair to either person. usually the children up for adoption are in another foster home and you can meet them, if you are a foster parent you can do respite care and have them for the weekend while their other foster parents are "on vacation" and see how the bonding is. good luck to you.