Starting the Adoption Process
The first step in the process of adoption is to contact the agency you are looking to adopt through. For us, we decided to adopt through the state. There are so many children in foster care homes or group homes. They all need a forever family. The sad thing is that it is mostly only the younger children get adopted. Also, sibling groups are hard to get adopted together.
After discussing it together, we decided to adopt a sibling group. Kyle's perfect number of children is 2-3 children. My perfect number is 2-4 children. However, we are open to a different number should we find the perfect sibling group for us.
I've been searching through all of the states foster lists of children who are available to adopt. After two months of searching I feel pretty strongly about a certain sibling group. However, it is a six sibling group and Kyle needs more convincing for that number. The plan is to meet these six children and see if we both agree they are our children.
Until that day, we are working on completing our IMPACT Family Centered Practice Foster and Adoptive Parent Training. We've already done two of the six days for the class.
The children available for adoption through the state have had their parents rights terminated. Their parents will never be allowed to have anything to do with these children. Terminating a parents rights is not a quick or easy process.
First, a complaint is made against the family and Child Protective Services steps in to see what the parents need to be a safe and supportive family for their children. They make a plan to get back on track. During this time, the kids remain in the custody of the parents.
If the parents do not make an effort to get better, the children are then removed from the parents home and placed in foster care. During this time, the parents are given a second chance to get things right. Another family plan is made and they are given a 6 month period to prove they are trying to rectify their situation.
At the end of the review process, if the parents have not made an effort to get their children back then their parental rights are terminated. At this point, the children continue to remain in their foster homes. They are placed on the list of children who are eligible for adoption.
These are the children we are looking at. I don't know if I could handle bring children into my home only to have them removed and be reunited with their parents. I'd be devastated. So, we are only looking at children whose parental rights have been terminated.
During my searches, I always set it to 2 - 4 children. I honestly do not know how this six sibling group popped up for me to look at. But, I totally fell in love with them.
For now, we have to complete the IMPACT training course and then our three home study sessions. Once all of that is completed, we can make the official inquiry into the six sibling group. They'll set us up with a face-to-face meeting first. We'll be able to hang out with the children and see if we connect. If a connection is made, we will then have them over for a weekend. After that, they can move in as foster children for a minimum of six months. During this time we will have surprise visits where the children will be asked if they want to stay with us and we will be asked if we want them to stay with us. If everyone agrees that we are the family for each other then we can finalize the adoption. This will likely take about a year.
Please keep us in your prayers throughout the entire process.
After discussing it together, we decided to adopt a sibling group. Kyle's perfect number of children is 2-3 children. My perfect number is 2-4 children. However, we are open to a different number should we find the perfect sibling group for us.
I've been searching through all of the states foster lists of children who are available to adopt. After two months of searching I feel pretty strongly about a certain sibling group. However, it is a six sibling group and Kyle needs more convincing for that number. The plan is to meet these six children and see if we both agree they are our children.
Until that day, we are working on completing our IMPACT Family Centered Practice Foster and Adoptive Parent Training. We've already done two of the six days for the class.
The children available for adoption through the state have had their parents rights terminated. Their parents will never be allowed to have anything to do with these children. Terminating a parents rights is not a quick or easy process.
First, a complaint is made against the family and Child Protective Services steps in to see what the parents need to be a safe and supportive family for their children. They make a plan to get back on track. During this time, the kids remain in the custody of the parents.
If the parents do not make an effort to get better, the children are then removed from the parents home and placed in foster care. During this time, the parents are given a second chance to get things right. Another family plan is made and they are given a 6 month period to prove they are trying to rectify their situation.
At the end of the review process, if the parents have not made an effort to get their children back then their parental rights are terminated. At this point, the children continue to remain in their foster homes. They are placed on the list of children who are eligible for adoption.
These are the children we are looking at. I don't know if I could handle bring children into my home only to have them removed and be reunited with their parents. I'd be devastated. So, we are only looking at children whose parental rights have been terminated.
During my searches, I always set it to 2 - 4 children. I honestly do not know how this six sibling group popped up for me to look at. But, I totally fell in love with them.
For now, we have to complete the IMPACT training course and then our three home study sessions. Once all of that is completed, we can make the official inquiry into the six sibling group. They'll set us up with a face-to-face meeting first. We'll be able to hang out with the children and see if we connect. If a connection is made, we will then have them over for a weekend. After that, they can move in as foster children for a minimum of six months. During this time we will have surprise visits where the children will be asked if they want to stay with us and we will be asked if we want them to stay with us. If everyone agrees that we are the family for each other then we can finalize the adoption. This will likely take about a year.
Please keep us in your prayers throughout the entire process.
Comments
Post a Comment