There are two general ways to adopt from foster care.

1. Direct Foster Care Adoption: There are about 100,000 children whose parental rights have already been terminated and whose caseworkers are currently seeking adoptive families for them. The average age of children waiting to be adopted is about 7, but approximately 40% are under six, and many of these younger kids are part of a sibling group.
2. Foster to Adopt: The US has approximately 400,000 children in foster care that have been removed from their biological parents due to abuse or neglect. These children are placed in foster homes while state social workers work with their birth families. The goal of foster care is to heal birth families so that children can return home, and foster families are expected to work with social workers on reunification. Children are able to return to their families half the time. When family reunification is not possible, adoptive families are sought, and the foster family is usually given the first choice at adoption. Approximately 25% of children in foster care will ultimately be adopted, most often by their foster family. There are wide variances within states, and counties within states, on the willingness to work with foster families whose ultimate goal is adoption.

A home study and completing an adoption education course are required to adopt from foster care. You can work either with the state foster care unit (named differently in each state – Department of Family and Protective Services, Department of Social Services, Department of Children and Family Services, etc.) or a private adoption agency with a contract with the state to place foster children. The education will be the same (30-35 hours), but most people in the Creating a Family community report better pre and post-adoption services when working with a private adoption agency. You may have to pay more, but the money can be recouped with the federal Adoption Tax Credit.

This one-hour radio interview is a great introduction to how to adopt from foster care: Foster Care Adoption

Age:  The average age of children adopted from foster care is about 5, with about 49% under the age of 5. The average age of children legally free and waiting to be adopted is about 7, with about 40% under the age of 6, often as part of a sibling group.

Gender:  There are about an even number of boys and girls in foster care

Race:  White-42%, Black-26%, Hispanic- 21%, Other-11%

Foster care adoption costs very little or nothing. Any money spent on adopting from foster care can usually be offset with the federal Adoption Tax Credit. Over 90% of children adopted from foster care receive a monthly cash subsidy and Medicaid benefits. Check out these resources:

• Adoption Subsidies and Benefits When Adopting from Foster Care (1 hr. radio interview with experts)
• Foster Care Subsidies: What is Reasonable and How to Negotiate (1 hr. radio interview with expert)

Yes, adopting a child in foster care from out of state is usually possible with children who are legally free and waiting for an adoptive family. Usually, easier to place children (younger and with fewer special needs) are placed within their home state. Fostering a child with the hopes of adoption (adopting through a foster to adopt program) is usually not an option with children living in another state unless the child is a relative. We talked about adopting a child from foster care in another state on this Creating a Family radio show on Adopting from Foster Care.

Children end up in foster care through no fault of their own due to mistakes made by their biological parents. Most have experienced abuse and neglect, which can have a lasting impact, but they are not damaged beyond help. Pre-adoptive parents will receive extensive education to help them parent children who come from hard places. Creating a Family also provides extensive resources on helping children heal and on adopting older kids. Here are just a few:

• Parenting the Hurt Child (1 hr radio interview with Dr. Greg Keck)
• Parenting a Child that has Been Sexually Abused (1 hr radio interview with Dr. Joshua Sparrow, Harvard Professor in Psychiatry)
• What do We Mean by “Special Needs” Adoption and Should You Consider this Option? (1 hr. radio interview with experts)