Many people think about babies when they hear the word “adoption,” but it may surprise you to learn that the average age of a child waiting for adoption in the United States is eight years old. There are over one hundred thousand children in foster care in the United States waiting for adoption. The initial permanency plan for most children in foster care is reunification with their biological parents, but some children can’t return to the care of their birth family members. When this happens, the biological parent’s rights are terminated in a court of law, and the state begins to look for an adoptive family. Children adopted from foster care account for 59% of all adoptions in the United States.

What is the Process to Adopt a Foster Child?

You may have seen a foster child waiting for adoption on a news program like Wednesday’s Child and wondered how to adopt them. The first thing you should do is contact a foster care agency like Hope Cottage. You must obtain a foster care and adoption license before you can adopt a child from foster care. The process to become licensed usually takes about four to six months, depending on the specific agency’s requirements and the applicants’ ability to complete those requirements. Here at Hope Cottage, our process includes:

• First, you will meet with one of our social workers in a private Orientation to discuss your family, how fostering and adopting will impact your life, and answer all of your questions about the process.

• After meeting with a Hope Cottage social worker, you will complete an application. The application includes a criminal background check, proof of income and financial stability, driving records, TB testing, and more, as required by DFPS Minimum Standards.

• Once you have begun your application, you will attend pre-service training. Pre-service training is a series of classes to educate and prepare you to meet the unique needs of children from trauma backgrounds. Training topics include positive parenting, trauma-informed care, relationship building, and CPR certification.

• After your application and training have been completed, Hope Cottage will conduct your home study. The home study consists of several interviews conducted by your Hope Cottage social worker in your home with each member of your family, as well as a walkthrough of the house to ensure that you are physically prepared to welcome foster children into your home. The purpose of the home study and interviews is to ensure that all of your questions are answered prior to becoming licensed and that you are prepared to meet the needs of foster children.

Hope Cottage issues dual licenses to all of our families. This means that you will be licensed for foster care and adoption. If a child you are fostering becomes eligible for adoption, or if you are matched for adoption with a legally free child, we will not have to update your home study and license to proceed with the adoption.

How long does it take to adopt a foster child?

The amount of time it takes for you to adopt a foster child can depend on your preferences. You may have some idea of a child that would be a good fit for your family, but it is crucial to have reasonable expectations. Thousands of children in the Texas foster care system are eligible for adoption, but they may not fit the image you had when you first considered adopting; remember, the average age of children waiting to be adopted is 8 years old. Your home study can be submitted for placements as soon as you are licensed. The amount of time you wait for a child to be placed in your home will be shorter if you consider siblings and children of all races, ethnicities, ages, and genders.

At first, a matched adoption may seem like the fastest path to adopt a foster child, but this is not always true. When searching for adoptive placements, DFPS will look for kinship homes first. If a biological family member cannot be found, DFPS will consider the child’s current foster family. In some cases, foster parents are unable or unwilling to proceed with adoption. If the child’s current foster family cannot adopt, DFPS will begin the search for an adoptive family. This type of placement is known as a matched adoption. Before a matched adoption can be considered, all other placement options (birth family, kinship, and foster families) must be exhausted. It is important if you are wanting to adopt through foster care, that you strongly consider fostering to adopt.

There are several financial incentives

1. Families who adopt a child from foster care can claim a federal adoption tax credit. To be eligible for the credit, you must:

• “Have adopted a child other than a stepchild — The state has determined children who receive a monthly adoption subsidy payment to have special needs, so these children are eligible for the full tax credit without documenting expenses. Families who adopted children without special needs are also eligible but need to document expenses.”

• “And be within the income limits — How much of the credit you can claim is based on income. In 2010, families with a federal modified adjusted gross income above $222,520 could not claim the credit; families with incomes above $182,520 can claim partial credit. Adoptions from previous years had different income limits.”

1. Foster youth currently or formerly in the conservatorship of DFPS and those adopted from DFPS can receive a tuition waiver at any state-supported college or university.

2. You can negotiate with the state to cover your non-reoccurring adoption expenses. To qualify, the child must meet one of the following criteria;

   • Six years or older

   • Racial/ethnic minority and two years or older

   • Placed for adoption as a sibling group

   • Lifelong handicapping condition

3. You can also receive Medicaid and monthly subsidies if your child meets one of the criteria listed above.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a foster or adoptive parent, or if you want to begin the application process, please give us a call (469) 781-5971.