Adopting Through Foster Care

The following may help you if you are considering adopting a child that is currently in foster care.

In a foster care adoption you will be adopting a child from one of the U.S. states' foster care programs.  Every state has a foster care system and at any time there are approximately 125,000 children nationally available for adoption through foster care.  Below we have provided you with information about foster care adoption.

When a child has been removed from the biological parents home it is because the parents or other caretakers are not able to properly care for the child and the environment is no longer safe and desirable for the child.  While many of these children are not available for adoption because they will be returning to the parents' home, there are literally thousands of foster care children who are adoptable and are just waiting for an adopting family. 

There are many good reasons to adopt a child from foster care. On the other side, there are many problems that can result.

A child from foster care may have some emotional problems as a result of being taken for the biological parents and then placed into the foster care system and into foster care homes.  On the other hand, as a result of state and federal subsides, foster care adoption will cost you almost nothing and many states actually pay a monthly subsidy to maintain the child you have adopted.  There are many other pros and cons of foster care adoption. These and other foster care adoption issues are discussed on the Adoption Services website link Foster care adoption.

You may also find the Child Welfare Information Gateway article Adoption Assistance for Children Adopted from Foster Care to be helpful.