Are there US agencies who match up foster children who have "aged out" with potential adoptive parents?

Question

I am exploring the idea of my husband's and my adopting a "child" who is at least 18 years old. We do not have any children, and there is no possibility that I will ever give birth to a child. We are both old enough that had a child been born to either of us, he or she could have been at least 18. I have read the laws of our state of residence and ensured that our adopting an adult would be legal.

Frankly, I don't even know if a teenager who has aged out of the foster care system would even want to be adopted. What I do know is that my husband and I would be wonderful parents! We endured the bureaucracy to try to adopt a child from our state's foster care system and failed even though we filled out a ton of paperwork and jumped through myriad hoops. We also explored private adoption agencies, but they all deal with neonate adoptions, and I feel I'm too old at this point to adopt a baby.

Any information about the adoption of aged-out foster children will be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

It is great that you want to help out people who age out of foster care. In many states those kids get kicked out as soon as they turn 18 with only 200 bucks (or less). I'm not sure where you can find the info you are looking for, but don't give up. You'll be able to adopt a young person and the system can't make you go through all that paperwork and stuff.

Good luck on your search. :)

Answer 2

I don't know if this would interest you or not, but it's a thought...I know that, in our state, children are available for adoption through the foster care system until the day they turn 18.  What about adopting a 17 year old, so that they never have to deal with the "transition" (i.e. being thrown out on their butts at 18).

Just a thought.  But either way, I think that's a great idea!  You're right, these kids need mentors, and this is a great way to help!

Answer 3

Hi Cindy,

I think it's great that you want to help older foster children who have aged out of the system.  They are greatly in need!  Nobody is too old to have a family, in my opinion.  They have no family to advise them and to help them navigate the adult world.  They have no family to return to on the holidays.  They have nobody to take care of them when they are sick.  Even though there may be job corps for them, too many are not ready to be fully on their own yet.  Some start their own families too early.   Worst case scenarios are the ones who end up in prison or in need of other social services, for having no love and no guidance from anyone else in the world.

It is legal for adults over 18 to be adopted by other adults.  All it takes is an attorney to handle it.  Look for one who specializes in family law.  You do not need to do home studies since they will not be a minor.  They will need to give consent for themselves to be adopted.

By the way, even if they do not want to be formally adopted, you can still help them by being a friend and life mentor for them.  There might already be specific programs to match you up with a former foster child.  You could start by contacting your state dept of children & family services and inquiring there.  I think it could be a good experience for both of you.

Thank you for caring.  Thank you for helping to make a positive difference in someone else's life!

julie j

reunited adoptee

Answer 4

In our state you can adopt untill 19 if they are still in school then when school is over they age out.  There is a big push with comericials of kids who got adopted and those who didn't asking peopel to adopt teens.  No one keeps track of them once they are aged out.  

Why did you fail to adopt from foster care?

YOu can try again and tell them you are intersted in teens and you will get a child right away

Answer 5

contact your local DHS or CPS depending on what they call it in your area... here in oklahoma a person can be 21 and still in foster care if they are attending college

Answer 6

There's You Gotta Believe! in NY, they could probably give you a referral for your area:

http://www.yougottabelieve.org/

Their website describes adopting teens, however I saw a news show about them where they spoke of adoptions for people who had just or were just about to age out

Answer 7

I took in a young man who was not from foster care but did not want to be with his family. I had to have the parents permission.

That being said, there was a program that paid me to keep this young man. It didn't cover much so your not going to get rich off of it but I went to DHS or now FIA and they put me in touch with a woman who came out and did an informal home study. Nothing big. Where would he sleep, hand rail on stair case, and a few guide lines like he had to cook 1 meal a week, do some laundry, etc...

You may want to check with your local DHS or now called FIA in my state and see if they have a program available for what you want to do.

The foster care will be your snag. Like I said I had to have parental permission to house this run away.

Good Luck and let me know what you find out.

Answer 8

I'm a foster parent (10 years).

Check to see if there is a mentoring program in your area.

Sometimes, foster care sends the 16 and 17 yr old kids to mentors to prepare them for the 'real' world.  

I know in my state (Va) - a young man at age 18 was placed with a potential adoptive foster parent who had been mentoring him.  In the end, the young man decided he didn't want to be adopted but continues to see his mentor.

Sounds like you want to be involved in helping guide a child in life.  Maybe mentoring would be the answer?

god bless you

Answer 9

I don't know about adopting 18 year olds but if you don't qualify to adopt though the foster system there are older kids in other country's in their early through late teens that need homes. You could possible look into international adoption of an older child. Just make sure you are prepared because alot of old children ( from the US or Abroad) need extra care, guidance and Patience, due to being institutionalized and any previous abuse or neglect they have suffered from either the foster care system or their birth parents so make sure you are able to provide that for them otherwise neither you nor the child will benefit.

Answer 10

I'm not so sure about adopting an 18 year old. As a child who aged out of the foster care system, I can tell you that your help in showing a child the ropes would be very much appreticiated.

18 year olds are in a tricky spot. Their too old to be a child and receive help from the foster care system, yet their really not old enough (or usually mature enough) to be an adult with all the responsibilities that come with it.

I wish I had've had someone that was willing to step in & show me some of the small things needed... wouldve saved me falling on my face as much as I did.