[spischer]

Hi there

We live in Wisconsin and are just starting our homestudy. However we are looking for an agency that does older children adoption - from ages of 1-5. I know about the foster care system but have been told that those children are mainly 6 and up. Anyone have any ideas on other agencies?

Thanks!
spischer

[Linny]

I would suspect that most (if not all) states are much like our state (IL) in that the foster care system can have children of any age. I know it's usually much more difficult to have a baby within the foster care system, but I know several people on this site have been fortunate enough to have that happen to them.

I know in IL, private agencies can 'plug in' to the foster care system if they choose to and are licensed to do so. Even though they may choose to deal with children of foster care, they can still conduct private adoptions as well.

Sincerely,

Linny

[mrsred]

I am not sure who told you there were not kids in the foster system under the age of six. Our adopted son came to us just after his 5th birthday. Our current foster daughter, who is legally free for adoption (although we will not be her forever family) is only 4 1/2.

[GoddessDanu]

My agency told me that if we went through the state we could end up with an infant or an older child. It would depend on which children were up for adoption when we were ready to make our decision. I think it might be beneficial to you to at least have a look at the children in foster care waiting for adoption. You never know what you'll find.

[ProspectiveSingleMom]

I also live in Wisconsin, and it is true that most children in foster care are older than five (and those few who are younger tend to have severe health problems). Have you considered foster parenting first? Usually, the foster parents are offered the opportunity to adopt a child who becomes legally free while in their care. If you don't want to consider that (I know for myself I couldn't handle having to send a child back), you could pay a private agency to do a homestudy for you, and then look nationwide for a child in foster care. Some other states have a much higher number of children in foster care than Wisconsin. A good website to give you an idea of what types of children are waiting in foster care is AdoptUsKids - Children In Foster Care Awaiting Adoption . Finally, another option to consider would be international adoption.