Foster Care Adoption

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 about 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 CreatingaFamilyEd.org online course is a great introduction to how to adopt from foster care: Introduction to Foster Care Adoption 

Age:  According to The AFCARS Report for FY 2020, the average age of children in foster care was about 8.4 years old, with the average age of entry to care around 7 years and 8.7 years old when exiting care. About 25% of those kids who exited care did so for adoption. 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:  About 51% of kids in care are boys, and 49% are girls.

Race:  White – 43%, Black – 23%, Hispanic – 22%, Others – 12%

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 also receive a monthly cash subsidy, Medicaid benefits, and in some states, in-state tuition assistance. Check out this CreatingaFamilyEd.org online course for a clear understanding of Foster Care Subsidies: What Is Reasonable and How to Negotiate.

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 CreatingaFamilyEd.org online course for an Introduction to Foster Care Adoption.

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. podcast w/ the late Dr. Greg Keck)
• Parenting a Child that has Been Sexually Abused (1 hr. podcast w/ Dr. Joshua Sparrow, Harvard Professor in Psychiatry)
• Helping Children Heal from Sexual Abuse (CreatingaFamilyEd.org online course with Dr. Jennifer Shaw of the Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery)
• What do We Mean by “Special Needs” Adoption and Should You Consider this Option? (1 hr. podcast w/ experts)