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Hi. My husband and I are in the process of trying to adopt. We thought about going through the foster care system and adopt between a newborn and 15month old. We have a 3yr old biological daughter. I would like to keep the age difference between my daughter and the child we adopt to be around 4 years at the most. We're having our first orientation meeting next week but I am so anxious I was wondering about some questions I have.
Anyhow, my questions are:
1. Do they do the homestudy or do I need to get that started from another agency?
2. How long does the homestudy take?
3. Once completed, about how long until I could have a child?
4. Do I have to be a foster parent or can I adopt right away?
5. I live in GA and thought I read somewhere that I have to do training sessions but it's not clear what/how long they are?
6. Basically any info would be great about the process, time frame, etc.
They make it all so confusing. I wish it was all cut and dry and easy to understand.
Thanks in advance! :)
Welcome! Different states have different rules, but I'll answer your questions with general answers. The agency you're having your orientation with can be more specific to your state, agency, and current trends.
1. Do they do the homestudy or do I need to get that started from another agency?
They will do the homestudy. If for some reason they outsource that function, they will tell you. But almost all do their own.
2. How long does the homestudy take?
This one depends on a lot of factors. Like how long it takes you to do your part of it (gathering paperwork, getting physicals, answering questions, and attending classes). It also depends on the homestudy worker's caseload - the more people she has above you on her list, the longer it will take to get to you. That said, if you have a decent worker and no snafu like unreadable fingerprints, the process seems to take most people a few months, like 2-5.
3. Once completed, about how long until I could have a child?
Again, that depends. The more types of children you rule out (by age, gender, health, behavior, drug exposure, etc) the longer it will take. It also depends on how many other people on the list will take the same type of child you will. It depends on whether your state or agency works by calling the person the caseworker knows, or whether it works strictly by a list. And of course, it depends on how many children are currently being taken into foster care. If there aren't any children coming in, then the rest doesn't matter.
4. Do I have to be a foster parent or can I adopt right away?
You do not necessarially have to become a general foster parent. You may be able to be certified for straight adoption placements, meaning children who are waiting for adoption already, whose parents have had their rights terminated. Or you may become a foster parent to children who are almost certainly going to become ones who are waiting for adoption. Your orientation will tell you what choices there are in your area. But even if you are placed with a child who is ready for adoption, you will have to foster that specific child for a set period of time (usually 6 months) before you can adopt that child.
5. I live in GA and thought I read somewhere that I have to do training sessions but it's not clear what/how long they are?
They are probably MAPP or PATH classes, or something similar. Most states require at least 15 hours of instruction for people who wish to adopt from foster care. Children who have been removed from their parents because their parents severely abused or neglected them are a whole different story from children who were well taken care of. Your parenting strategies will need to be expanded, as will your definition of "normal". The classes help with that.
If you have more questions, by all means ask! But your orientation session will give you a really good overview. Good luck!
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thank you sooooooooooo much for answering my questions. I'm so anxious and excited...I figured they'd tell me at the orientation but just couldn't wait another week. :) But thanks for the info!
I am also in GA, Bibb County and the other posters answers are very accurate. I think the classes are 7 weeks long now. Good luck and keep us posted.