Once a prospective adoption parent has made the decision to adopt through the foster care system, the first thing they need to do is contact their local foster care agency. This agency can direct them to the agency in their state that holds the “adoption contract”. It is this agencies responsibility to provide training to adoptive parents, match parents and assist with post adoption services.
Any state will require prospective parents to go through pre adoption training. These classes usually last for six to eight weeks. These classes are conducted by social workers who work with foster children and prepare them for adoption. These classes educate parents on the possible needs or disabilities children in the foster care system may have.
Upon completing the required training, a social worker will complete a home study. The home study is basically a narrative about the family. It includes things such as family history, current family makeup, beliefs, likes, hobbies, dislikes etc. It will also identify limits on characteristics the family is comfortable with regarding a match such as age, sex, race, disability etc.
Once the home study is complete a match can be attempted. The family’s caseworker will search for children who are a match for the family and the family can usually search as well. Many states have websites where families can view potential matches.
Once a match is made pre placement visits will begin. These are usually a series of visits progressing from day trips to weekends to week long visits. This allows the child and family to get the know each other and decide if the adoption will proceed.
Once the child moves into the family home finalization can be expected to take place in about six months if all goes well. A social worker will make regular visits to be sure everything is going smoothly and there are no issues that need to be addressed.