things that could disqualify us?

I am just starting this process as well, but I don't see anything listed there that would disqualify you. I am wanting to adopt a young girl (0-3) and I am 45. I had my last bio child at 42, so I personally don't think you are too old for a newborn, lol!! The only thing I can think of is that I was asked by an agency if I am a stay-at -home parent. They said they needed parents who were home full-time for the infants. Blessings on your journey!

Thanks for your reply! This is such an emotional thing, and I was sitting there stressing, when your reply came in. It's so nice to have some encouragement right now! :) Hmm... stay-at-home... it's a possibility. I could probably take a year off from my teaching job. I know they have leaves for people who need to take care of a family member.

In ny, you can't have a child abuse, sex abuse or felony charges. Financially, you have to be able to support yourself with your income.

Hello and welcome :) To answer some of your questions: You don't have to be rich, but you will have to prove, that you can pay your bills etc You don't have to own a home, and , at least here, age is not something anybody cares about, so being over 40 is definitely not a concert. You will receive a check list from your agency, there it will explain, how to secure meds, chemicals, detergents etc. You will definitely need ( if you don't already own) working fire alarms, at least one on each level, preferably two, And a fire extinguisher.. Any animal in the house has to be up to date on vaccinations. Cars up to date on stickers/insurance Homeowners/renters insurance And here you also need a Dr statement, that confirms that you are mentally and physically able to foster/adopt. Everything needed will be in your package, don't freak out, lol, just take your time, and work your way through it:) I wish you the best on this new journey.

Thanks, everyone! It's so exciting and scary at the same time. :) In a way, I'm glad it takes a while, because that way I can get everything ready.

Your age is definitely not a factor. Being a stay at home parent will help with getting an infant placement but working won't make them disqualify you. Going in with an attitude that you are only in this to adopt a child that age would make it so that you do not get licensed in most states. The layout of your home may disqualify you (if you don't have a separate bedroom for children that can be accessed by its own door without going through another sleeping room and it own window). If you rent, not being able to make the changes that need to be made to the home (example, your rental house has bars on the windows that do not meet current code). The truth is that very few things will disqualify you from even going through the process and the courses are meant to make you "self select" to drop out if foster adopt is a bad fit for your expectations.

I would happily take older children except that I have my bio son, who is 2. I don't want to take a child older than he is. I've read that it's best to maintain a kind of birth order, and also I'm concerned that a child older than he is, who will no doubt come to us from a harsh background, might post a safety risk to him. I am not willing to risk my son's safety.

At our first session, the Licensing worker went through a list of things that generally disqualify people. It's different in different states, but for us, the big ones on the list were: Every adult in the house must be a licensed foster parent (including adult children or grandparents, etc.) If you have a pool or water access, there must be a fence separating the house from the water. Foster children can't share a room with non-foster children. We will have to pay for physical exams, fire inspections, and any necessary home adjustments that must be made (fire extinguishers, locking medicine cabinets, etc.) Everyone over 16 in the household must pass a background check and fingerprints. In our initial application, we also had to show that we had ample income to meet our expenses and an extra child for a six week period as it takes time for stipends to come. Age was not an issue, but we were very clearly told that we would be expected to foster and that workers often really don't know how a case is going to go in the beginning, so if we were in it to adopt, we had to understand that there are no guarantees or even reassurances that any particular case would end that way. We have a four year old and we are only open to children younger than her and that has never been considered an issue. Good luck!

Thanks, Mtendere! That is reassuring. :)