Adoption Process - Fost AdoptThis page will tell you about the usual adoption process when adopting a child through foster care. Please remember that I adopted through the fost-adopt program in Boulder County, Colorado. I have great respect of Boulder's Social Services agency as they do many things well. Please understand, however, that, although the process is similar with all agencies, some may have other rules, processes, or requirements, and many agencies have different names for their workers. For example, some agencies call their Case Workers "Case Managers," or their Resource Family Team Workers "Family Liaisons," or their foster families "resource families." Don't fret though. You'll slowly figure out who everyone is.Getting CertifiedWhen you make the call to a social services agency you may be interested in adopting through, you will first be required to attend training. My training in Boulder County consisted of a brief, one hour long, orientation meeting where you are given basic information about the fost-adopt program. (Aside: I think they sort of study you a bit as well during this session. I've got to tell you, I met some really wonderful people who work for the DSS, but since they're charged with ensuring the safety of children and since they've received a lot of scrutiny over the years, they seem to be making their judgments with everything you do and say - so just be careful. I once teased that I put the kids in the closet for a couple hours each night so I can get some peace and quiet, and you wouldn't believe how the room quieted and eyebrows raised.)After the orientation, you will be asked to attend training (they will study you at the training as well). The training I went through six years ago was an 8 hour session on a Friday and another 8 hour session the next day. Since then Boulder County has increased the training to two weekends. Other states require foster parents to attend an 8 week class. When you initially contact a social services agency, ask them about their training requirements.
Child PlacementOnce certified, you may be required to complete a few sessions of respite care before being asked to take a child. Respite basically just means babysitting. If you have never parented children, expect to do respite three to five times before receiving a placement. This is also a good way to narrow down the age of children you would be willing to care for.Each child's case worker will make the decision about the best fit for the children on their case loads. If a caseworker feels your family would be a good fit for a child, s/he should do what's called a presentation. During the presentation, you will learn everything about the child and the biological parents that the caseworker currently knows and can legally tell you. After the presentation, you will be given 24 hours to decide if you feel the child would be a good fit for your family. Even if you want to respond a resounding YES right away, you will still be required to respond after you've completed the 24 hour waiting period.
Your New FamilyOnce a child has transitioned into your home, everybody and their dog will be coming to your house to see the child. Some of these people will include the GAL, the CASA, the caseworker, the resource family team worker, and the case aide or others.Many seasoned case workers are very good at knowing whether or not a case is going to go to termination of the biological parents' rights or if the child will likely be returned home. The social workers have seen certain cases before and generally know how they turn out. A caseworker will NOT place a child in a fost adopt home if they think the child will ever be returned home. Please note that some social services agencies continue to change the way they view the "system," including adoption. A few years back, there was a trend to trust the judgment and opinions of the foster parents, especially after 6 months, but recently some entities have begun to believe that cases leading to adoption are "failures," that if social workers can't fix the biological family enough to have the child return home, then the system (not the biological parents) has somehow failed. Regardless, there is always risk involved in adopting through a fost adopt program, but social workers try their best to minimize the risk for all parties involved. While you are the foster parent of the child, the caseworker will be working with the biological parents, the GAL, and the courts to do what they need to do to achieve permanency for the child. Find out about types of permanency plans the judge may set in place. During this time, the caseworker will do an exhaustive search of any other kin, or family members, of the child who may be possible placements, and although the caseworker should have ruled out the main possible kin placements in the picture before s/he places the child in your home, there is always someone who seems to come out of the woodwork. The courts are beginning to understand that moving a child who has already established a bond with a foster family to a distant relative that the child doesn't even know is not in the best interest of the child, even though they may be kin. But it always ends up being a scare. Foster to Adoptive ParentsEvery case is different at this point. Sometimes biological parents may relinquish a child, and sometimes a termination hearing is scheduled and the biological parents must attend court to fight for custody of their child. Usually if it gets this far, the caseworker has enough documented evidence in the case, and the judge will terminate the parental rights. After a termination or a relinquishment, there is a short period when the biological parents may appeal the decision, but this is rare.From here, your resource family team worker can proceed with petitioning the court for your child's adoption on your behalf and setting up an adoption hearing. You will attend a subsidy meeting to find out how much, if any, of your foster care payments you will retain as your subsidy payments. You will also have another presentation where the caseworker will give you any further information about the child that they have discovered in the case. S/he should have completed a written document, called the family study, which will have documented everything the agency knows about the family, including grandparents et. al., its history with social services, the child, and the case that the caseworker can legally tell you. You will again have 24 hours to wait before you can tell the agency that you want to adopt your child. From here you're home free. Answer a couple questions at court, sign some documents, and have a party.
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