I am interested in adopting a child that is currently in foster care. Does anyone know the steps to take?

Question

I am interested in adopting a child that is currently in foster care. Does anyone know the steps to take?

Answer 1

A specific child?  If you are a relative, you need to contact the judge and/or caseworker handling the case.  They will determine if it is in the best interest of the child.  

If you are just wishing to adopt from the foster care system, then contact your local Department of Social Services.  There will be an application process, a home study, and a lot of other paperwork.  Once you are finally matched, you will meet with the child and then the child will be placed in your home as a foster child until either legally free for adoption, at which time you can adopt or if already legally free then until the adoption is finalized.  

Good luck!

Answer 2

Contact the state foster care program and let them know you are interested.  They will put you in touch with the child's case worker and start the process with you.  You will need to go through a few background checks & a home study, but they should be able to help you through all of that and the paperwork.

Good luck to you.

Answer 3

First you need to contact the agency who is in charge of her case. You need to find out if the parents rights have been terminated. If they haven't then she isn't free for adoption. In any case you need to get licensed as a foster parent first. Get all the paper work done, do a home study and take the mandatory 9 week class. Then you can adopt. The reason for all of that is that the state requires each child to live in your home for six months before adoption cam happen. Good luck.

Answer 4

Start by contacting the foster agency that you want to adopt from. They will best be able to tell you what steps to take.

Answer 5

My hubby and I just did that and we had to go through his DHS worker.  We had to have homestudies done and go to court.  In our state (Iowa) we have to be gaurdians and wait six months before we can formally adopt. It took us awhile to get custody though.  And they have to terminate the parents rights.  It took us over a year for all of this.  But we got a corrupted DHS worker and had to fight the foster mom (which was psyco, and has been a stalker) for him too.  So be careful too.