Is there a faster track to adoption?

Question

My wife and I would like to adopt. Is there a way to shorten the time period in which you are able to receive your child? I understand that with a forgein adoption the waiting period can be about a year, and a domestic adoption of a newborn can take up to two years. She is 43, I am 38, and she has two girls 12 & 15 from a previous marriage. We have been married for over 6 years.

Answer 1

There are over 100,000 children in foster care waiting for families.  It can be a relatively quick process (if you include the application process, you most likely won't become parents in under a year and a half no matter what avenue you choose), and in most states, it's free.

Answer 2

foster to adopt would be way faster. More like 6 months to get a child in your home.

Answer 3

There really isn't.  Adoption is a very difficult and lengthy process that in many ways is good because it makes sure that the adoptive parents really want the child.

You need to get yourselves on a list when you decide where you would like to adopt from.  The only thing that will "shorten" the time is your willingness to be open and not only adopt a newborn - consider an older child or one with special needs.  Also, your ages will likely be a factor in whether adoption agencies will let you work with them - many agencies don't let you adopt if the mother is over 40 or 45, so be sure of the restrictions.

Answer 4

I think it is great that you and your wife are considering adoption.  Going through an agency, internationally, or foster care will always cause a wait, but during that wait is when you can get your home together and prepare for your new arrival.  I have always heard that if you start spreading the news, that word of mouth will help with placement.

Answer 5

No there really is not a short cut....

Some mention Foster to Adopt but, in reality this method is not any shorter then the process to have a pre-adoption placement from the State foster care system.

With foster to adopt children (and babies) are Placed as Foster children and the parents are required to act as foster parents...facilitate visitation with biological family...attend court hearings...and parent with the Primary Goal of Reunification with the childs biological parents.  This process can go on for an average of 2 years before the Foster Parents will even know if a child's caseplan will change and become Adoption.

Then once a child in Foster Care has a caseplan that will include adoption the state is first required to conduct a Relative Placement Search and rule out Any possible genetic family member or Step family member that may be interested and able to parent the child. It is always about keeping children with their biological families if at all possible.

The UP Side of the foster to adopt program is that Often foster families have a newborn placed and 2 years later may have the chance to actually be considered as the Adoptive Placement..... But, the state can still ignor the Foster Family as the correct family placemet...there is No full Promise that the foster family will ever be the actual adoptive family.... So and often foster parents have 2-3 or more babies that are reuinified--or placed with relatives or other adoptive parents before a child is acutally free to be adopted by the foster parents... It is a risk some parents are willing to accept in order to have a young child placed....

But it Still takes at least the 1 and 1/2 years to 2 years before the foster family even Knows for sure....

Adopting a child that is Legally Free and waiting in Foster Care takes roughly the same amount of time--the difference is that the families wanting to adopt a foster child and have only a Legally Free child placed Wait the 2 years without the child and meet the child as their Growing Up parents--rather than as a Foster Parent who SHOULD ONLY BE CONCERNED WITH WORKING TOWARD REUNIFICATION!

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Answer 6

Foster adoption generally has the shortest "wait" period, but regardless, there is a legal process that takes place.  There really isn't a way to rush things along.

Answer 7

Cherish the time you have before a new child comes into your home, it gives you a long time to think and contemplate and prepare the family you have already for the idea of another sibling for the older kids.