[HappyMomAnna]

In most states in order to adopt a child in State Care a family needs a 'state' homestudy. This Homestudy generally is the final step in being a certified Foster Care placement.

The reason that Families need to be certified is that after the child/children are placed with a family and until the adoption is final the family with the children must have a 'legal' title to allow you to get medical care and act as the childs guardian. Generally, most states will make an adoptive family wait at least 6-months before they CAN finalize an adoption and during this wiating period the family recieves the foster care support payments.

Completeing a STATE Homestudy is simple, and generally free--however it can take several months to finish.

Families can adopt children who are legally free without providing Foster Care--before deciding to adopt. Children who are legally free generally have significant issues as the trend during the past ten years has been to place children into Foster to Adopt homes with families who are willing to act as Foster Parents and work on issues to reunite the child with the biological family and also willing to adopt the children as a last resort.

Staffing or Committee is a state process where several families are selected generally by the childs caseworker and a meeting is called. The childs caseworker--the caseworker for the interested adoptive families and other people who know the child such as doctors, therapists are invited to meet with a panel of several usually 3-5 other uninvolved caseworkers where a decision is made as to where the child will be placed and a back up family is also selected.

Typically families who adopt by way of staffing or committee are given limited info--and do not meet the child prior to the decision being made by the state. The info is all provided at the time the family is selected and there is generally a 7-14 day wait for the family to change their minds...or for the other families to appeal the decision.

Generally the children who are adopted by way of staffing or committee have significant issues which would most often need the direct and constant involvement of the family for an extended period of time after placement. Some states will NOT place children in homes where there is not at least one stay home parent. Attachment can be a serious issue with children who have been in Foster Care and most often these children NEED the consistancy of being home with someone for some period of time. Some adoptive parents of older children or special needs children or sibling groups will keep the children out of school for the first 6mo to a year in order to get to know the kids and help attachment.

Often a committee or staffing will choose the families that plan to stay home and who demonstrate that the understand the magnitude of the committment they are making.... Adoption of a child or sibling group from the Foster Care system takes very dstrong and dedicated families. The stress and the issues that a family can face during the first year can be overwhelming. The highest rate for adoption disruptions is with sibling groups of two children placed with first time parents. Disruption is devastating to the family and the children who will only suffer more attahcment damage when an adoption fails.

Adopting a child or sibling group you see listed as a waiting child in most states requires several hours of training in the issues that come with children who were born drug affected or children who have been abused, neglected or sexually abused... Generally these children are not listed because they have had great backgrounds and they have suffered deep trauma, loss and grief.

Families who want to adopt children from Foster Care need to be strong and have a good support system. These children need families that are 100% aware of the implications this adoption process may include. Some families are NOT able to be the kind of family to do this sort of adoption and that IS OK TOO.

Good luck to ALL WHO WAIT!