Does veteran status affect placement?

Being on active duty could raise some questions, though they are not always a barrier. As an example, there might be questions if a parent was likely to be deployed overseas for an extended period, as it might be difficult for the other spouse to deal with raising the adopted child alone. And if a couple tends to have to move around a great deal, either to another state or to another country, some agencies would be concerned that they might not be able to do mandatory post-placements or longer term follow-up, to ensure that the child and parents were coping well. In both cases, there are reasonable responses to those questions, which some agencies will accept, though a few may not. The question may also be asked because some biological families will not want to place a child with a family that is likely to move out of state or out of the country, if they want open adoptions with visitation.As to veteran status, some agencies may want to give priority to veterans, since they have put family life on hold for a period of time in order to serve our country, and deserve not to have to wait too much longer now that they have separated from the military. On the other hand, some agencies may be concerned that a veteran sometimes has mental health issues resulting from his/her experiences in combat, although the required medical form should be able to address the issue of possible PTSD. Some agencies may also want to know if a veteran has medical or mental health issues resulting from his/her service, and is receiving disability payments. Some state laws may not allow adoption if a person receives government financial support.In any case, it's worth talking to any agency that mentions veterans in their advertising, to see what its concerns are. Sharon

My husband is AD and we are foster parents that have adopted two kids so far and have a baby we are in the process of adopting right now. Our agency looks at our military status as a plus because we have skills that others do not have--we are very adaptable, have great insurance, and have a diverse life so a child of any race would fit in. So promote your military background in that fashion and it is a big plus. There will be questions because of the widespread PTSD stories of those that have served in combat. They ask how you have handled that stress and if there is issues they need to be aware of. They just want to know if you can handle the stress of life that foster care brings on but I have to say that the foster care system and the military bureaucracy system is pretty much the same equally as frustrating so if you handled the military bs you can handle the foster care bs. :)