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Ugh, I'm so lost. My husband and I are just beginning to get the info we need on adopting. We'd like to adopt a child or siblings out of the foster system (we'd like an older child). However, we have no idea how to begin. I know we must get a home study done but from who? We'd like to learn how you go about adopting a child from another state (we live in alaska right now) And what are the costs with adopting from the state system?? Can we use our JAG office for the court papers?
Also, we're in the military so it makes things a bit harder. Can anyone please put us on the right path. We're lost. There's just so much to learn. Nobody we know has ever dealt with adoption before.
Please help!
Thanks so much.
Sincerely,
Jessica Reed
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some states like that. also if you do end up paying for the homestudy you get $2000 reimbursed from the military.
You usually need to be stationed in one place for awhile to get the adoption finalized so you may want to wait until you know you are going to be some where at least two years.
The best thing to do is call you local DSS and ask them, just like the above person said. You might also want to pick up the phone book and call every local agency in it just to see what they have to say.
Just about each state has its own site now and another good place to look is waitingkids.com.
Good Luck!!!
I know this isn't for everyone, but it has worked for us - become foster parents. We have adopted one child and are in the process of adopting a sibling group. Our oldest child was an adoptive placement when he came to live with us, but we were chosen because the foster children we had at the time had the same social worker and she liked what she saw.
In 2002 we accepted placement of a 3 month old boy "for two weeks"; we are adopting him and his two older siblings. Also, they have the same social worker. We wouldn't have any of our four children if we weren't doing foster care. It also helps you understand what the children have gone through before they come home to you.
Good Luck!
Good point. Foster care really can be a benefit. You just need to prepare yourself for a long road with a possibility that they may go back home, but it does allow you to see what is happening with the child as far as issues go and it does increase your chances for placement and most likely much quicker than staight adoption. You really need to discuss this with your husband and do some soul searching.
We did the whole foster care licensing thing in about 3-4 weeks, but we were going after a specific 17 year-old child. We didn't mail any of the paperwork but drove it all around town ourselves. I don't believe we paid for anything. $2000 for a homestudy? My goodness! Ours was a 2 hour max evening visit and tour of our house. That's $1000 per hour! Our son had heard about our licensor and told us to get her talking about her dogs and it would be a done deal. He was right!
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I'm just starting to research about adopting too. Since you are in Alaska (I'm in Oregon), a helpful website I found is Northwest Adoption Exchange: [url]www.nwae.org.[/url] They have a photo-listing of kids that are available from Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Also lots of good introductory info and resources. Good luck!
I felt exactly like you a week ago. What state do you live in? We are interested in doing the same thing you are. We called Child Protective Services here and they got the ball rolling by inviting us to an informational meeting. I was able to go to their website and see an overview of the whole process so I feel much better. I knew what I wanted, but I felt as if I was walking blindfolded to get it. I can see a little better now, but I have a way to go.