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Hi all! Hubby & I are in the China adoption process and are looking at a possible 3 year wait to get our child. Our papers were filed in April 2007. We are now considering maybe a domestic foster to adoption, but don't know too much about it. Since you all are the experts, where do we begin to seach? We live in South Florida. Thanks for your help!
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Congratulations or sort of on your decision to adopt a child! I know it's a long process escpecialy since you are trying to adopt from China. It sounds like you actualy have most of the work done. I live in South Florida as well, and we contact our local foster care agency, depending where you live you can get the informstion from the DCF website.
We should be licensed in the next day or so, hopefully gettng our first placement when I get back from vacation.
Where in South Florida are you?
TTYL
Sam
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Hi! We are in Port Saint Lucie. (Believe it or not still considered South Florida). If you call the number below, they will let you know who your local foster/adoption agency is. I think for you its Kids in Distress. I'm not too sure but I think that's who it is. You give them a call explain your situation, tell them that you have already have a homestudy and gone through most of the process, you may be able to skip all the hassle.
Just so you know, there isn't a specific foster to adoption program, you either have to be a foster parent and your current foster child is available for adoption and you have the option to adopt that child.
My husband and I went into the whole process wanting to adopt a child straight from foster care, like the children they have on their website. When I found out that there are more than 200 families just in my district on a waiting list to adopt a child under 5 and looking about a 2 year wait for a child at that age to come up for adoption. About 80% of children that are available for straight adoption from the state are over the age of 9, or sibling groups, or if the child is younger they are physically and/or mentally disabled. We started looking at foster, I think about 90% of children that become available for adoption are most of the time adopted by their foster parents.
Though the goal of DCF is for the children to be reunited with the biological parents or family members, most children become available for adoption are typically adopted by their foster parents.
A coworker of mine, had become a foster parent and her second placement went up for adoption and she adopted him, she had him since he was 6 months old. So you do have a chance. It did take her almost 18 months for the final adoption, but when you think about it, it is well worth the wait.
I can't judge anyone who decides that being a foster parent is not for them, its a hard decision, and one that should not be taking lightly. Talk it over with your husband and your family, both his and yours, as they will have they're own feelings about foster and how receptive they will be to a child, that may never be legally yours.
I am not sure if you took the MAPP classes, but they were so well worth it.
I know this is a long message but I wanted to convey everything to you.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sam
p.s. Info is below.
For information please call 1-800-96-ADOPT
[url=http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/adoption/]The Florida Department of Children and Families[/url]
MAPP is a 30 hour required course to become a licensed foster parent, it stands for Model Approach to Parenting (I can't remember what the last "P" stands for) its a course that teaches you about the children from foster care, what to expect, not to expect and expect the unexpected.
I think anyone regardless if your going to adopt or foster, should take the course, it is free and given by your local district foster program.
They go over all the rules, they do you background checks and inform you of everything you should know.
Sam
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