Foster care to adoption or private adoption of older child???

Question

I wish to adopt another child, probably not an infant, but they aren't planning on having foster courses in my area for another year or 2 (rural area) which means for right now, I can't go through the foster system (stupid isn't it, and the courses aren't taught on-line here, and I know 4 other couples wanting to take them). I've already got a homestudy, and have adopted a beautiful baby boy, now 9 months old. Does anyone know of an agency, preferably in Arkansas, that works with older child, or how would one go about locating an older child to adopt?

Answer 1

Ok, so I don't know anything about this group and I am not promoting any religion....but I have looked a little, and have come up with this place. They are in Little Rock, but they start training very soon....they also offer free child care while you are in training. Dunno if this helps, but I hope so....

http://www.thecallinarkansas.org/events....

Answer 2

Is there another area where you can go to take the classes?  Can you take the classes through an agency rather than the state?  Check into those options.

That is really ridiculous that you & the other families have to wait to take the classes when you're willing and ready to move forward now.

You might want to contact the commissioner overseeing the child welfare agency for your state and let him/her know that there is this unnecessary delay and ask for his/her help in clearing up the delay.

Answer 3

No, it is not stupid to not offer those classes on-line....the classes are part of the screening process besides education...not everything in life can be done on line.

My agency offers the classes over two weekends, but we are in Michigan.....you could come in for those weekends.

If you have four families who are interested I would call some foster care agencies, like Catholic Social Services, or Lutheran Family Services (anyone except the State...they won't accomodate anyone ever) and tell them there are four potential foster parents wanting to take the classes, I bet one will send someone out to meet you or meet you half way!

I would and I know my agency would...and they'd condense the teaching into one weekend.

Go online and look some up.

Answer 4

We were offered the same classes through three different places.  Look into that first.  Try taking the classes through an agency (but still adopting through DHS - they don't care where you got the class from as long as it's the class they need you to take, and our agency offered it).  I'm guessing you've already tried your county, and they are the ones not offering the class for awhile.  The third option is whatever public agency in your state/area that deals with special needs adoption.  In Oregon, that public agency is the Special Needs Adoption Coalition (this is who we took our classes through), but I've heard it called PRIDE in other states.  

We didn't know that we had so many options when we first started the process.  We didn't realize it until we had signed up for classes through ALL THREE places, and then found out we didn't need them because they were all the same thing.  Do some checking around, you should be able to find something.  If nothing else, try going to another county to take the classes.  We ended up making a weekend out of it (because we didn't know our county had the same classes that SNAC offered, so we thought we had to go out of town).

Best of luck.