-
1.Q: What is adoption?
A: Adoption is the permanent, legal transfer of all
parental rights from one person or couple to another
person or couple. Adoptive parents have the same
rights and responsibilities as parents whose children are
born to them, and adopted children have all the
emotional, social, legal and kinship benefits of birth
children. There are several ways to adopt a child:
through a public agency, private agency or attorney.
-
2.Q: Who can be an adoptive parent?
A: Single or married. If you are married, you must have
been married for at least 2 years. You may own or rent
your home, as long as it meets the size requirements for
your state. Ages vary from state to state, but general age
bracket is age 21 to age 55. No felony convictions-this
can also include drunk driving and drug issues. Any race
or religion.
-
3.Q: What types of adoption are available?
A: The main type of adoption is: adopt a child from the
U.S foster care system.
-
4.Q: What are the qualifications to adopt? Do adoptive parents have to be the same race or have the same ethnic background as the child they adopt? Do they have to be married and be within an age range? Do they have to have a certain income level?
A: If you adopt from foster care, the answer is no to all
the above. Families are as diverse as the children who
are available for adoption. If you adopt internationally
or with an attorney or private agency, parents are
typically under 40, married for at least three years and
financially stable.
-
5. Q: What qualities are important for parents who adopt?
A: Traits like flexibility, patience, good problem
solving skills and a willingness to identify local
community resources are all critical. Children don’t
need perfect parents, just loving individuals willing to
meet the unique challenges of parenting and make a
lifetime commitment to caring for and nurturing them.
6. Q: What is the adoption process?
A: The social worker will walk you through the process.
In all cases a homestudy and background check will be
needed. In addition, adoption preparation classes are
required for foster care adoption.
7. Q: What is a homestudy?
A: A homestudy is an in-depth application and
interview process with a social worker that involves in
person interviews, reference checks, background checks
and home visits. The study is not standardized and may
vary from state to state and agency to agency. The
average homestudy usually takes three to six months to
complete.
8. Q: How much does adoption cost?
A: The cost of adoption varies depending upon a
number of factors, such as the type of adoption, the
agency through which you work, the state where you
live, attorney fees and whether travel is required. Foster
care adoption can cost $0-$2,500, while independent or
international adoption might cost $7,000 to $40,000+.
9. Q: How long does the adoption process take?
A: There are many variables that determine how long it
will take to complete the adoption process, such as
whether adoption preparation classes are required, the
length of time to complete the homestudy and the
length of time to identify a child for your family. On
average, the adoption process may take one to two
years.
10. Q: Who are the children in foster care?
A: Children in foster care were removed from their
families due to abuse, neglect or abandonment. The
child might live temporarily with extended family, a
foster family or in a group home while social workers
try to help the birth family. If the birth family’s
problems can’t be resolved, the agency that has custody
of the child goes to court to legally terminate parental
rights. At this point, social workers try to find a safe
and loving adoptive family for the child. Ages range
from infant to early adulthood, although the average
age is eights. Virtually every race, ethnic group and
socio-economic category is represented. Some children
are waiting alone and others are waiting with siblings.
11. Q: What do I do next?
A: There are several step-by-step instructions to help
you through the adoption process.
