More than 400,000 children are currently in America’s foster care system. These children range in age from infants to 18 years old, and they come from all walks of life. One thing they all have in common, though, is that they need warm, loving families to call their own. Ideally, those would be permanent families created through the adoption process.
If you’re among the millions of potential adoptive parents in the United States, adopting a foster child could bring to life your dreams of completing your family. At the same time, it could give a foster child the life he or she has been longing for. That being said, the adoption process is lengthy and involved. Understanding the essential steps to take can help make matters less precarious and confusing.
For those who hope to eventually adopt a foster child, the first and most important measure to take is becoming a licensed foster parent. While adoptive parents aren’t necessarily required to foster beforehand, doing so offers several advantages. The foster licensing process covers many of the bases families need to take before being approved for adoption. As such, being a foster family could give you a head start and increase the likelihood of approval for adoption later on.
Consider visiting the Alabama Department of Human Resources website as a first step in becoming a foster parent. There, you’ll find a preliminary form to fill out. It asks applicants questions about their plans for fostering and whether they’re interested in adoption. It also asks for contact information and inquires about applicants’ living conditions, family size, and willingness to cater to special needs children among other factors.
After filling out the initial form, you’ll be assessed to ensure you meet all the state’s requirements for fostering children. You’ll likewise be assigned a caseworker. From there, all the adults in your home will undergo background checks. A home study is also required to ensure you have enough space and adequate living conditions to provide a safe, healthy home for a foster child.
If initially approved, you’ll need to complete at least 30 hours of parenting training prior to opening your home to foster children. This is required for all potential foster parents, even those who are already raising children of their own. Keep in mind, many children in the foster care system have experienced significant trauma in one form or another. Training ensures you’re equipped to deal with the resulting emotional or behavioral issues they may have.
While completing the foster parent licensing process, also consider obtaining legal representation. An adoption attorney in Cullman can be an effective ally in your journey to adoption. Legal counsel can certainly give you an added advantage as you strive to adopt a foster child in your care.
After being approved as a foster family, you’ll already have much of the preliminary process under your belt. Still, certain issues could arise. Despite having spent several months parenting the foster child you hope to adopt, your capacity to provide a permanent home could come under fire. Additionally, the child’s biological relatives may contest the adoption.
Those are only a couple of the hurdles you may encounter during the adoption process. Developing a working relationship with an adoption attorney beforehand ensures the attorney is already familiar with your case and in a position to defend your ability to be a worthy parent. An attorney is also well-versed in Alabama’s adoption laws, so he or she can use that knowledge and understanding to your benefit and that of the child you’re planning to adopt.
In many cases, children must live with foster families for at least six months before adoption becomes an option. That gives you and the child time to bond and ensure you’ll make an effective team while forging through life together. It also allows you to better understand any special needs the child may have after being adopted.
Not all foster children and families are good matches. The precursory period keeps the best interests of foster children and potential adoptive families at the forefront. It’ll help to reduce further trauma for the child and potential heartache for your family, too, should you not be a good fit for each other.
Before adopting, you’ll likely need to undergo more in-depth background checks and a more extensive home study than those conducted for foster parent licensing. You and other members of your household may need to undergo thorough health screenings as well. These are additional measures Alabama takes to guarantee the health, happiness, and safety of children who are part of the foster and adoption system.
An array of essential documents is also required when adopting a child. That includes birth certificates, marriage licenses, medical evaluation records, proof of parenting training and foster licensing, character references, home safety inspection results, and many other items. This is another area in which legal counsel and representation can be helpful. An attorney can assist with ensuring all your paperwork is in order to prevent delays in court or outright denial.
Patience is a crucial quality for parents to have, and it’s certainly necessary during the adoption process. Becoming a licensed foster parent, finding a child who’s a good match for your family, following through with the legal portions of the adoption process, and additional factors take time. In most cases, the average timeframe for adoption is one year not including the foster licensing period. It can be even longer. Still, all good things are worth waiting for.
Thousands of children in Alabama alone are looking for families to call their own, and you’re looking for a child to bring into your heart and home. Not all children in Alabama’s foster care system are eligible for adoption. If you’re interested in adopting, though, you’ll be paired with those who are.
Adopting a foster child isn’t a simple process, and it doesn’t happen overnight. Get a head start by becoming a licensed foster parent so you can legally take in children. Partner with an adoption attorney to facilitate the entire process, and have patience as your family goes through each step of the journey. In the end, you’ll be able to enrich a foster child’s life by permanently giving him or her a much-needed and deserved home and family.
