| There are many viewpoints of adoption. This is the | | | | would be necessary. In some of the cases, it is |
| aspect of adopting a child through the foster care | | | | evident early on that these particular children would |
| system.Adoption is a process of transferring the legal | | | | be available for either long term foster care or |
| custody of a child from one legal guardian to another. | | | | adoption. In these cases, the parental rights would be |
| In most cases the child is not related to their | | | | terminated and the child would be available for |
| adopted parents. However, there are a number of | | | | adoption.There are a lot of children available for |
| adoptions whereas the custody of the child is | | | | adoption through the foster care system. Children are |
| transferred to another family member such as an | | | | available for adoption by various means and agencies. |
| aunt and uncle or grandparents.There is always a | | | | As well as adoptions at the county level, there are |
| need for more foster parents. Foster parents | | | | privately arranged adoptions, private agency |
| generally work with their county Department of | | | | adoptions and international adoptions. We are |
| Social Services. There are also a large number of | | | | focussing on the county level adoption due to the |
| foster parents that work with private agencies. | | | | cost factor. The private agency and international |
| These private agencies contract with the county, | | | | adoptions can be quite costly. The privately arranged |
| state or handle private placement of children. When | | | | adoption could be costly as well but could also be |
| foster parents decide to foster children, they will | | | | arranged to cover the costs involved in arranging the |
| attend training through the county or the agency | | | | adoption. With the county Foster/Adopt programs, |
| that they sign up with. The initial training is an | | | | the costs involved in adoption is covered by the |
| orientation to foster care and other necessary | | | | county or reimbursed.Through the county foster |
| information designed to outline the duties and | | | | adoption system, children that it appears will be |
| responsibilities of becoming foster parents. There is | | | | available for adoption are placed in homes that the |
| yearly ongoing training available and it is necessary | | | | foster parents are planning to adopt. The county is |
| for all foster parents to keep current on their training | | | | mandated to moving the child a minimum amount of |
| requirements. There are various foster parent | | | | times. If the situation with the child's home looks as |
| associations available for foster parents to join and | | | | though there is a strong possibility of termination of |
| this is highly recommended. By joining these | | | | parental rights, then there is an attempt to place the |
| organizations, the foster parent is kept informed of | | | | child in a home with foster/adopt parents.There is a |
| information that is pertinent to being a foster parent. | | | | push for more adoptions of children in the foster |
| Regarding this information, there are various | | | | care system due to the mandates placed on the |
| resources for training and the foster parents can | | | | county Department of Social Services to provide |
| choose training that is pertinent to issues that they | | | | more comprehensive permanency planning. The |
| are not familiar with or that they are dealing with in | | | | horrific stories that some of these children carry with |
| their homes at the present time.Foster parents can | | | | them are traumatic enough without adding trauma by |
| be couples, a single mom or a single dad. In a lot of | | | | being moved from one foster home to another to |
| cases couples that have already raised their own | | | | another over the ensuing years. The foster/adopt |
| children choose to do foster care because they just | | | | programs at the county level just became an |
| like to have children around them. Some parents will | | | | extension of the foster care programs that were |
| take in a foster child or two while they are raising | | | | already in operation.The average family raising their |
| their own families. Some parents raise foster children | | | | own children would probably raise 2-3 children over |
| because they can't have children of their own. There | | | | the course of 20 years that their children may be |
| are as many reasons to become a foster parent as | | | | living in their home. In the same 20 years, a foster |
| apples on an apple tree.Why are children in the foster | | | | family may touch the lives of 100-200 children that |
| care system? On the top of the list is Abuse and | | | | may be in their care for 2-3 weeks, months or years |
| Neglect. For various reasons, children that are placed | | | | each. So many foster children are raised in a number |
| in the foster care system for this reason are not or | | | | of different homes. With the foster/adopt program, |
| have not been taken care of properly by their legal | | | | there is more stability for the child. The child also |
| guardian. Often they are subjected to physical abuse | | | | feels a stronger sense of belonging and being cared |
| that is noticed and reported by another responsible | | | | for.Children do not forget their foster parents as |
| adult. (Their are adults due to their job functions that | | | | those that are raised in their natural homes do not |
| are legally obligated to report any suspicion of abuse | | | | forget their natural parents. Being foster parents can |
| to either the Department of Social Services or the | | | | often be frustrating when children come and go so |
| Police Department.) Sometimes the situation is | | | | often as the parents only have a short time to make |
| traumatic for the children and the out of home | | | | a lasting impression. Adoption allows for a long term |
| placement for them can be an extended period of | | | | relationship between the adoptive parents and the |
| time. Often this is accompanied by obligations that | | | | adopted child. Often this makes a tremendous |
| the parents will have to accomplish in order for their | | | | difference in the outcome of one's life. Children also |
| children to be returned to their homes. At other | | | | learn from their parents and often is the case that |
| times, a requirement might be placed on the family | | | | children that are raised in foster care homes become |
| to accomplish certain tasks over the period of 2-3 | | | | foster parents themselves.As adoptive parents, there |
| days and if completed, their children would be | | | | are a lot of resources available for training and |
| returned upon completion of these tasks. These are | | | | support. Some of the foster parent associations |
| the less severe situations such as having a clean and | | | | provide support for the adoptive parents as well. |
| safe environment for the children to live in.The next | | | | There are also a number of support associations for |
| part of the process is where do the children go | | | | adoptive parents specifically. If considering adopting |
| next? As mentioned previously, if the situation is not | | | | children, this is one avenue that you will want to |
| too severe, the children might be returned to their | | | | investigate. You should check around with the various |
| homes in just a few days. If the parents do not | | | | organizations, associations and foster and adoptive |
| meet the requirements of their obligations to have | | | | parents to find what would be right for you. If you |
| their children returned, then the situation would need | | | | are thinking about it, go through the orientation |
| to be reviewed to determine what course of action | | | | training before you make a commitment. |