Instant Mom (23 page)

Q.
If someone is pursuing parenthood via the fos-adopt system, does that mean they are only fostering with no hope of adoption?

A.
No. When you decide to do fos-adopt you will be asked what type of risk level you are open to. These levels include low to no risk that the child would return to the birth parents. In some cases there may be a high risk that they could return to the birth parents. If you do not feel this is the route for you, tell your social worker you would feel more comfortable being matched with a child already legally emancipated. Typically, the wait is two years or longer for a legally freed child to be placed in your home.

Once you decide what risk level you are open to, your agency or social worker will try to find the best match for you. Before you agree to be matched with the child, you will know the background on the case and whether or not the child is likely to go back to their original home. Fos-adopt has a high success rate of adoption. Also, many children have been placed in homes temporarily, then returned to their birth parents, yet they continued to have a friendship with the parents who fostered them.

Q.
Who may adopt a child via the United States’ and Canada’s fos-adopt systems?

A.
Anyone who meets the standards and has an approved Home Study. American and Canadian foster care does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, marital status, income level, or age. For more information on what your particular state’s guidelines are, go to www.adoptuskids.org/for-families/state-adoption-and-foster-care-information, or for your Canadian province’s, go to www.adoption .ca/provincial-adoptions, and click on your state or province of residence.

Q.
Are there orphanages in North America?

A.
No. Children without parents and children of parents who have not demonstrated the ability to care for them live in foster homes or group homes.

Q.
What is the difference between a North American group home and an orphanage?

A.
A group home is much smaller than an orphanage, housing only six to twelve children at a time. Group homes were originally designed to offer more of a “home” environment for children rather than an institutionalized environment that is characteristic of orphanages.

Q.
What is a relinquishment?

A.
This is also known as an agency adoption, when a birth parent relinquishes their parental rights to a state department or a licensed agency. The agency in turn places the child with an adoptive parent(s) and supervises the adoption until it finalizes. The extent of time a birth mother has to change her mind varies from state to state; it could be anywhere from twenty-four hours to thirty days. Once a birth parent relinquishes their rights, the agency supervises the adoption until finalization occurs.

Q.
What does a Foster Family Agency (FFA) social worker do?

A.
An FFA social worker works closely with the prospective parents to guide them through the process of adopting via the foster care system. The service is free.

Q.
How do I find the free services of a Foster Family Agency (FFA) within my state?

A.
Go to www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad.

Q.
What if I am adopting via foster care and I don’t get along with my social worker?

A.
A prospective adoptive parent may meet with many state social workers and FFA social workers to find the right person. Also, prospective parents may change adoption agencies and attorneys and social workers. It is advisable to interview a few different agencies to find the right one for your family.

Q.
Are all children in the U.S. and Canadian foster care systems victims of abuse?

A.
No. Some were placed in foster care because of neglect. Some were relinquished to foster care by parents unable to care for the child because of a broken marriage or a financial issue. Prospective parents can discuss what they feel they are equipped to take on in terms of abuse and neglect.

Q.
What annual income should an adopting parent have?

A.
Kids don’t need much more than love and acceptance from a parent.

Q.
Is a fos-adopt child being fostered or adopted allowed to share a room with a sibling of the opposite sex?

A.
Only up to five years old.

Q.
If an older person adopts a child, what occurs if something happens to that parent?

A.
In the case of a substantially older single adopting parent, an assessment would be made to be sure there is an additional caregiver or someone who would legally take responsibility if something were to happen to the adoptive parent.

Q.
What is the Heart Gallery?

A.
The Heart Gallery is a traveling exhibit of professional photographs taken of children in foster care who are available for adoption. You can visit www.heartgalleryofamerica.org to find an exhibit close to you or to view the photos online.

Q.
May a U.S. citizen adopt a child that is an illegal resident?

A.
In some fos-adopt cases it does happen that children who are illegal residents are removed from their homes in the United States, and when this occurs the state will help obtain citizenship for the child. In some cases this is done before adoption while in other cases it is completed after finalization. For domestic adoption a prospective applicant wanting to adopt a child who is an illegal resident would need to follow the international adoption laws of the country where the child is a citizen.

Q.
How does a state or FFA social worker make a match via U.S. and Canadian foster care?

A.
They assess the home and personality of the prospective parents. Also, they take into consideration the background of a child the prospective parents are open to. If the adopted child will be a sibling to a child already in the home, usually the social worker tries to have the child be younger than the sibling who is already in the home. The social worker who matches you will want to find the right fit for the child as well as for your family.

Q.
How does someone finalize an adoption via the fos-adopt system?

A.
When you are ready to finalize your fos-adopt placement, the county will assist you with your finalization. Some counties will assign an attorney to you at no cost, others may give you a voucher or payment for the cost of an attorney so you may choose your own, while many complete the adoption themselves without requiring an attorney. Regardless of how it is done, someone will be there to help you through the finalization.

Q.
What if someone adopting from foster care can’t afford an attorney?

A.
An attorney will be assigned to you at no cost to you.

Q.
What types of medical, dental, and financial assistance are available for a child adopted from foster care in the United States and Canada?

A.
A child adopted from foster care will receive the state insurance (for California it is Medi-Cal; for other states it is Medicaid) until the adoption finalizes, then the parents can put the child on their insurance. However, in most states a foster child will continue to get the medical and dental coverage from the state until they are eighteen (in some cases up to twenty-one if approved). Routinely, parents adopting a child choose to put the child on their insurance and use the state insurance as secondary. There are many parents who do not have insurance so they use the state insurance as primary. The child will often qualify for the Adoption Assistance Program (AAP), which is a monthly stipend until the child is eighteen. The amount varies for age and state but, for example, a child in California who is an infant through four years of age will get a minimum of $621 a month.

There are some cases in the fos-adopt system where birth parents who are about to lose parental rights will choose to sign a relinquishment rather than have their child go into foster care. In those cases, an adoption placement agreement is signed right away so the child would be able to go on the adoptive parents’ insurance at placement. To find out what your state offers for postadoption medical, dental, and financial assistance, go to www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/adopt_assistance.

In Canada, each province is different; some offer financial and medical support while others are not able. Go to the following web-site and click on your province, which will tell you what funding is available as well as medical benefits: www.nacac.org/adoption subsidy/provincialprofiles.html.

Q.
Are many of the children in foster care over the age of five?

A.
There are children who are newborns to five years of age. However, as previously described, there is a need for families who will take children over the age of five, siblings, plus ethnicities other than Caucasian. These are the children getting lost in the system who age out of foster care without families.  A law was recently passed that allows children to remain in foster care until they are twenty-one years old if they go to college, have a part-time job, or go to trade school. This was passed so when foster children turn eighteen, they are not simply out on the street; this also allows the foster parent to continue to get a stipend each month.

Q.
What is the process for a private adoption of a child in Canada?

A.
A U.S. citizen will need an approved international Home Study to adopt from Canada. Canada only allows residents of Canada to adopt, with exceptions made for relatives of children who live out of the country. In the past five years only fourteen intercountry adoptions have occurred from Canada to the United States. For more information visit adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_info.php?country-select=canada.

For Canadians to adopt, they need an approved Home Study. Regulations and limitations vary by province, though most adoptions cost between $10,000 and $25,000. The time frame varies as well, though a one-year wait is common for newborns. For information on how to get started, visit the Adoption Council of Canada at www.adoption.ca.

Q.
What is the process for adopting from China?

A.
A U.S. or Canadian citizen will need an approved international Home Study. The wait is forty-eight months or longer, and the cost is $15,000 to $50,000. The wait time may be shortened if one of the applicants is of Chinese descent or if an applicant has previously adopted from China. You will need to find an agency that specializes in China adoptions. Only married heterosexual couples or single heterosexual females may adopt. Applicants must be at least thirty years old and no older than fifty-five. If the applicant is single, they cannot be more than forty-five years older than the child. Only one of the applicants has to travel to China to pick up the child. For more detailed qualifications, go to adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_info.php?country-select=china.

A Chinese citizen is subject to the one-child policy. In China, if your firstborn child is a girl, you can apply to have another child, though many will put the female child up for adoption in the hopes of having a male child. There is very little information on families who live in China who want to adopt from China. If you are a resident in China, then you have to follow the Chinese law and practice on adoption. If you are a resident of another country and are working or temporarily living in China, then you would follow the adoption laws from your country.

Q.
What is the process for adopting from Ethiopia?

A.
The current wait time is twelve to twenty-four months or longer, and the cost is $20,000 to $40,000. Married couples are eligible for adoptions from Ethiopia. Single women may currently adopt by providing financial and heath capability, but this law may change in the near future. There are age, health, and background study requirements and restrictions, such as a parent may not be more than forty-five years older than the child. Visitations by both parents to Ethiopia are required before a child may be adopted. Two short trips of approximately six days are mandatory for foster home visits with the child, paperwork, and court dates. For the second trip, only one parent needs to travel to appear at the U.S. embassy. Both parents may want to travel the second time since this is when custody of the child is awarded. An escort is advised for all meetings, travel, and transportation and usually is provided by the adoption agency for a fee. All children are tested for hepatitis and HIV. All background and medical information is available to the parents.

Q.
What is the process for a private adoption from Greece?

A.
A U.S. or Canadian citizen will need an approved Home Study to adopt from Greece. To adopt from a government orphanage you must be a resident of Greece or have Greek origin, the only exception being for children with special needs. The wait time is up to five years. In the past five years, only three children have been adopted by U.S. or Canadian citizens. For more information go to adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_info.php?country-select=greece.

A Greek citizen wishing to adopt in Greece must be between the ages of thirty and sixty and be at least eighteen years older than the child. The applicant then files an application to adopt with the court. Social workers will be assigned to complete a list of information (similar to a Home Study), then a panel of three judges will decide if they are approved to adopt. The cost varies per case, and the wait time can be up to five years to finalize an adoption.