Foster mom or adoption question?

Question

My mom is either going to become a foster mom or adopt a baby and she already called to see about it. What all does she (and the family) have to do before the child is put in her care?

Answer 1

Your mom will have better luck becoming a foster mother.  Adopting a baby is very difficult, particularly when you already have a healthy child or children.  Good luck.  I hope it all works out for you.

Answer 2

I am a Resource Worker (Foster care worker) for the State of NJ. It depends what state you are in. In NJ...there is a long process that usually takes at least 3 months and includes 27 hours of training. A lot of states, do require a certain training class.

Here is a brief outline of what I have to do in order to have homes approved for fostering/adopting: NJ

1. Meet the minimum age qualification: 18 years old. Resource parents may be married, single, widowed, or divorced.

2. Provide bedroom space for the foster child. Each child must have his/her own bed

3. Provide sufficient space for the foster child’s personal belongings

4. Complete a NJ Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) resource parent application

5. Attend the DYFS Resource Parent Pre-Service Training. Both adults in a two-parent household must attend the training program

6. Provide references from:

•three personal friends

•current employer (for adult applicants in the household employed outside of the home)

•school/day care (for school-age children)

•Physician (medical references on all household members)

7. Cooperate with State and Federal police checks. Fingerprints will be taken on all adult household members to process the State and Federal Criminal History checks. In addition, DYFS will conduct a review of its internal records to determine whether the applicant or any household member has neglected or abused a child in the past

8. Participate in a personal interview with a DYFS representative. All household members will be interviewed

9. Allow a DYFS representative to visit your home to assess minimum physical housing standards

10. Provide sufficient income to meet the needs of the entire family. Foster care board payments are to be used for the foster child’s expenses only.

There is a lot of paperwork involved, interviewing, and references etc etc.

Email if you have any questions....

Answer 3

Every agency has different guidelines however, this is a basic answer:   If you are going to foster a child your parents will need to have a background check done and they will more than likely take some classes through that particular agency that will teach them how to foster and what to expect.    Once they have finished the classes and passed the background check a home study is done, where the social worker comes to the home to talk with members of the family, see the interaction, and checks that there is room for a foster child.   After that is complete, they will then be ready for a child and when a child is in need the agency will contact your family.  

Adoption is fairly similar although it is not free no matter how you go about it.   Going through an adoption agency the process is very similar to the fostering process although without the classes.   When a child becomes available and you are notified, that is when the costs generally rise.   An attorney will be needed to file for the adoption and to cover other legal matters.

Answer 4

Start by getting the home study and background check performed.  This can be done by contacting a social worker that deals with adoptions and foster care.

Answer 5

Background Checks

Home study

Baby proofing

Get a physical(parents)

Fill out paperwork

I think that's about it. My friends in California are about to adopt and I think that's pretty much what they went through, only it takes a lot longer than it looks like.