Another China Board Member popping over!

Nobody from Florida has answered you yet, so I'll chime in with the parts that are similar in all states, and hopefully later someone else will give you the Florida details. For the most part, there is an approval process that includes a bunch of paperwork, a series of classes, and a homestudy. Your China homestudy will not likely be able to be used - the State one requires a lot of unique information although perhaps parts of yoru China one might be able to be reused if the State ppl approve of the agency that did it. Someone from Florida will need to tell you how long it takes the approval process to be completed, other states are anywhere from a few weeks to 9 months. And then you wait. Nobody can predict how long your wait will be. Unlike China, there is no list that you move up. You could be placed with a child the day you finish your requirements, or you could still be waiting a few years from now. A lot depends on "matching" the child with the best parents for that child, but an equal amount depends on who happens to be home and answering the phone when it rings. A lot also depends on the "type" of child you would accept. You've stated the age you're interested in, but there are a lot of other considerations too. Could you parent a drug-exposed child? How about alcohol exposure? What about one with medical needs? Learning disability? Physical disability? What about one who was physically abused? Or neglected? One from birth family with significant mental disorders like bipolar disorder or schitzophrenia? Or minor mental issues like depression or ADHD? Etc. What are your requirements about whether the child has been freed for adoption yet? Are you only willing to accept children whose parents have had their rights terminated? Or are you willing to take in a child in the hopes of adopting them, but knowing that rights have not yet been terminated and the judge might return that child to their birth family? The approval process Florida will do for you will qualify you to adopt a child from foster care from almost any state in the US. The waiting process is similar, you find a worker in another state who is willing to accept your homestudy, and you hope that worker considers you when a child you could parent comes up in her list as needing to be moved to a new family. Hopefully someone from Florida will chime in later with the details of your area, but if you have any questions about what I posted, please ask.

First you need to contact an agency in your county and ask them when they are offering the next MAPP classes... The classes are anywhere from one week to 13 weeks depending on what county you live in and whether or not they offer accelerated classes. After or during the classes you will be given A LOT of paperwork to fill out and complete...including fingerprinting and background screening Then you'll have a homestudy and then all the info will be submitted and in about 30 days or less you will receive either approval for adoption or you will be licensed for foster care depending on whether you do the straight adoption route or whethger you do the "foster with hopes of adopting route" If you plan to adopt a child as young as you mentioned, I would advise doing the foster route.....Yes it involves more risk, but honestly you will find that you will wait a VERY LONG time to get a child that young without fostering them first. I will be adopting my second placements they have been with me a little over 5 months...they were TPR'd less than 3 months after being placed with me and our adoption will be finalized VERY soon...I got the boys 1 and 1/2 months after I was licensed to be a foster parent. If I had done straight adoption, I'd still be waiting for a placement. My boys are 1 & 2. If you do straight adoption, yes you can adopt from another state, but an ICPC has to be done...and a lot of agencies, don't like to go through the hassle.

I can't speak directly to Florida's process, but I can speak in general on what I was told in my training in OH. Once you are approved, you can adopt across state lines- although it might be more challenging. The quickest way to find out what the requirements are is to contact your local jobs and family serives department and get their packet of information. Actually, get licensed through them is sometimes quicker and there is no cost. In my county, it is almost impossible to adopt children between 0-4 years old straight through the system- most are placed in foster to adopt homes and those foster parents are given the first option to adopt them if the reunionification plan fails with the birth family. I hope this helps. Love to you,

Some counties require you to try to adopt INstate for a certain number of months (I've heard 6 months), before allowing you to adopt from outside the state. If you are open to all races, Florida seems to have alot of children available. Good luck!

I can't say anything about the timelines for adoptions - since I am a foster only parent - I have had 3 sibling groups that were tpr'd while in my care and went on to adoptive homes. Had we not felt we were to old to adopt - we had first voice (don't want to say choice or pick LOL) and they would've stayed with us. Let the workers know you are in it to adopt. And BTW - bless you for thinking of the thousands of children here in our own country that have no forever family. Most of us on this forum do what we can - but due to age and medical issues - adoption is not always an option for us. We strive to provide safe harbors until ru or adoption can happen. You may go thru a few ru's - but what better experience!! and not every child fits every home. With the foster system - you get to decide if the child(ren) are a fit for your home before the question of adoption comes up. And fostering is a wonderfully rewarding experience as far as the kids go. You might not think so by reading here - but remember that this is where we come to anon (?) vent and get ideas from other fp's. Due to the issues re: confidentiality we can't discuss cases amoung each other or with anyone else - so this is a safe place to just do that - vent!! We should be back in FL soon. We are on the Treasure Coast.

Thank you all for your replies and all the information. We are still researching to decide what we want to do but all of the info you have provided is most appreciated.