What do agencies look for in people who want to adopt a child?

Question

Not nessacarily agencies, but when wanting to adopt a foster child, too? Or for people who would rather be foster parents to help multiple children? How hard is it? How much income do they expect for your household? Do they look at how you grew up? Do they look at your life style, such as your sexual preference? It's just something that's been on my mind. Any imformation would be appreciated!!!!

Answer 1

1. Money

2. Least abusive home

3. Some agency are just want the money and don't care if the home is unwholesome, they just want their paycheck.

Answer 2

They look at everything:

Financials

Background checks (criminal)

Your health, you have to go get a physical

Religion

Your home life (home studies are required)

Employment background checks

They even have your friends right reference letters and will call and ask them questions.

For adoption they ask very detailed questions about the way you were raised and how you plan to raise children.

They get very detailed about everything. They have to make sure you are ok to be taking care of the children.

Answer 3

They are looking for loving parents, who can teach a child right. They have to be bold and be able to put there foot down. Help the kids with school properly. Feed and nourish the child properly. Be able to get around about doing stuff with the kid, and being able to be active. They have a nice home with a room of the child's own. And have enough money to support the child's every need. At least 25,000 - 30,000 a year income. Once you adopt the child they will check to make sure you can and still are doing all of this and they can take the child back, if you don't reach there expectations. It is really hard and you have to be ready to do whatever comes upon them. Good Luck! I hope you can get a child!

Answer 4

they look for a variety of things. Mostly they want you to be financially stable--not rich, just able to pay your bills and afford to take care of a child, have a safe home with room for the child, have safety items in the home--escape plans, fire extinguishers, windows that are a certain size in kids room (escape), that you are a safe and stable person....that you aren't seeking a child to fulfill something missing from your own life. You will need to have a backgroud check and fingerprints for everyone in your household....everyone will be interviewed and references will be asked for and checked. This is the foster/adopt program; I don't know international and domestic agency rules. 21 is the general age you need to be....all the way up to 60 in many states.,....though the 'desired' age would be in line with what age you intend to adopt...i.e. If you want an older child, a 21 year old parent wouldn't necessarily be the best fit for that child. We are 30, and didn't specify an age, but they placed a 1 yr old with us.

Answer 5

For adopting available state children, we have found they look for:

#1. Someone that resides in the state the available child does.

#2. people who will take the child without a subsidy.

#3. people with experience dealing with the type of  problems  that particular child has including medical experience.

#4. How many kids are in the family. Many children are strongly suggested to be the youngest child by many years.

Because of this I have found older parents are favored.

We tried for over a year to get licenced for foster care than we did a private homestudy instead and tried for state children in all states (we are in Michigan) for 9 months and subbmitted our paperwork on too many children and sibling groups to count. We were very open to the type of child we could adopt too. We were finally sucessfull through private adoption. Don't get too discouraged though, it DOES happen for some people but its a long hard road filled with ups, downs and heartache. I wouldn't do it again.

Yes they look at how you grew up and everything about you. Income isn't as important. You just need to prove you can support your current family without an adoption subsidy. Sexual preference doesn't matter in most states but individual workers may discriminate. Good luck to you!

Answer 6

Agencies want people with money.  You need lots of money to pay the fees to adopt a newborn.

DHS, on the other hand, wants people who can meet the needs of the child - whatever those needs are.  If you can pay your bills, if you have a safe place to put a child (i.e. your house or apartment isn't falling apart, and you have enough room), if you have the ability to meet the emotional needs of a child who has probably been through a lot in his/her short life, and who will most likely always miss his/her first parents and wonder why they aren't taking care of him/her, and if your home life is stable, you'll most likely get approved.  From there, the caseworkers will review each individual homestudy until they find what they believe to be the best possible family for the child.

They look at all of the things you mentioned and more.  How hard is it?  It's pretty gosh darned easy, as far as I'm concerned!  You write a book about yourself, turn it in, do some soul searching (hopefully LOTS of soul searching), and wait.  Income...as long as you can pay your bills, you're fine.  How you grew up...I had a less-than-perfect life (physical, emotional, and sexual abuse as a child, and an abusive marriage as a young adult), and I was approved.  The point is that I overcame it, and it's actually considered a good thing because I have the ability to understand hardship, and can help a child through their own traumas.  Lifestyle/sexual preference...that depends on the state.  You'll have to contact your local DHS to find out.  If you're homosexual or bisexual, and your state won't let you adopt, check surrounding states and MOVE.  (Not a fan of discrimination.)

Hope that helps, and best of luck to you!

ETA:  I think age isn't a factor as long as you can show all the above things, and you are of age (not sure if "of age" means 18 or 21 in your state - call them and find out).

That being said, caseworkers are the ones who make the final decision as to whether any child will be placed with you.  They'll look through your homestudy, and judge based on ALL these factors, who is best for the child.  Which means that if the caseworker feels that this particular child would be better off with someone [older, heterosexual, Christian, upper-middle class, etc.], then someone else will be chosen to parent this child.  That's something you can't prepare for.  You will probably get APPROVED, but you will have to wait for a caseworker to choose you to parent a particular child after you've been approved.

Answer 7

Our social worker was very interested in mine and hubby's life up until we had children. Asked about our infertility and most importantly had we come to terms and moved on. What our parenting philosophies were and whether we used corporal punishment. DD has severe asthma and allergies and she asked about how we handle her medical care. She asked about her education....she is cyberschooled at home because her asthma makes her prone to getting very ill when exposed to other kids with colds. She has improved greatly.

She was concerned about dd education but after spending a day with us doing school she had no doubts. She spoke with dds teacher ( we still have a teacher to answer too) and she even spoke with our neighbors. She observed dd playing with the neighborhood kids and had a great little tea party with her. She was also curious about how we integrated African American and Irish culture into our lives. She asked about how our respective families felt about us adopting a biracial child. She also asked about our support system.

She was a GREAT social worker and she has been working in the field for thirty-five years. She has agreed to do another home study if we are interested. We are planning to become foster parents a little while after the baby arrives....maybe sooner.

Answer 8

They look for people who would be a stable loving environment. income isnt as important as your ability to manage your finances...During the  homestudy they look at everything your childhood,lifestyle everything, but they arnt looking to eliminate you as a portential foster paretn, they are just looking for the best matches so both will benifit. If you already have 4 kids, they wont place you with a child who needs to be in a home alone and stuff like that.

Answer 9

they look for people with a lot of money, to be honest.