Foster Care Adoption Advice for People Starting Out - Part I

I just got a comment I should address now, as it's one that other readers may also be asking. Elaine comments:

... when you adopt from foster care, are you a foster mother first and then after a period of time you can finalize an adoption? Does the foster care system give you support (educational, emotional, resources, etc) during the pre-adoption period? Do you receive any financial support prior to finalization? What if problems arise? I am interested in the whole foster care system and adoptions from it.

There are three ways you can adopt from foster care. This doesn't count long-term foster placements by the way; these are just routes that lead to adoption.

1) Straight fostering. You get a foster license and begin taking foster placements. You can specify what kind of placements you accept. You will be expected to support whatever goal has been decided for the child. When one of your foster children is freed for adoption due to termination of parental rights, you will often be positioned first in line to adopt them.

2) Foster-to-Adopt. You get a foster license and begin taking foster placements, with the understanding that you are in this with the end goal of adopting. Your placements will be "adoption track" placements. This doesn't guarantee that the end result will not be reunification or kinship placement.

3) Straight Adoption. This is what I signed up for. You get a foster license, although it's often modified and different from a regular license. Your placement will be of children whose parental rights have already been terminated.

One of the big issues with foster care adoption is that it's incredibly variable. Some counties or states don't have foster-to-adopt programs at all. You can still foster with the goal of adopting, but your status is the same as any other foster parent.

There are three different kinds of intermediaries to use:

1) Directly through the state. Your local county will probably have the most placements. They will likely focus on fostering and foster-to-adopt. Straight adoption is not their priority. They only place local kids and will not cross state lines. There will be varying degrees of function and dysfunction... counties with less money will have really minimal services, everything is run on crisis mode and removed kids often have to spend the night on a couch in the social worker's office or even in jail. Most everyone I know says that their level of support from the local county/state is horrible, turnover is intense and that they are routinely lied to.

2) Private agency. There are many different kinds. I chose a local, secular agency. Some of the religious ones have restrictions I don't agree with. The large mainstream Protestant ones -- e.g. Lutheran, Methodist -- often don't have restrictions. These agencies contract with the state to place children. They will do a range of fostering, foster-to-adopt and straight adoption. My agency specializes in straight adoption from foster care. These agencies are usually completely free, like the state. You will get varying degrees of support, but I have always heard that you get more support from an agency than you would from the state.

3) Semi-Independent. If you go this route you pay someone to write your homestudy, pay your own lawyer, etcetera. I'm not familiar with this route so I can't say much about it. I've heard it's extremely difficult. Caseworkers for children don't like to talk directly to parents in the beginning stages.

There are two kinds of kids:

1) Special needs. Almost any child up for straight adoption is going to have special needs. It's a meaning of the term that basically indicates "harder to place". Here's the Georgia definition:

As defined for the purpose of adoption, Special Needs includes:
* African-American children older than one year of age
* Three or more brothers and sisters who need to be placed together
* Children age eight and older
* Children with documented physical, emotional or mental disabilities
* Two brothers and/or sisters, one of whom has a special need

In Atlanta, African-American children between one and eight are only technically listed as special needs. There are many parents who are very excited to adopt them. But in other areas of the state, such as predominantly rural white areas, they might be much harder to place.

I've heard some people say that having race listed as a special need is racist. The way I see it, it's that being a victim of racism is a special need. It simply reflects an ugly reality. Racial disproportionality in the foster care system is a terrible problem.

Special needs children will come with Medicaid and variable monthly subsidies. NACAC has more information.

2) Non-special needs. I don't know much about this area. I think these are infants. They might not get Medicaid or a subsidy, but sometimes they do. If a woman gives birth at a hospital, walks away and never comes back, and the infant is healthy, I think this would be the category.

Some more general guidelines and support specifics:

• Infants and very young children don't go into straight adoption unless they have major real special needs. Fostering or foster-to-adopt is the established route if you are only willing to adopt a very young child.
• The state will often be in "tit for tat" mode with foster parents: if you want an "adoptable" kid, you need to rack up brownie points by taking care of some "unadoptable" ones. The whole dynamic sounds kind of creepy, with everyone exploiting each other. I think that's why some locations don't even have foster-to-adopt programs. It seems like it's better to rely on a core of great foster parents who can whole-heartedly support a non-adoption goal, but there are often not enough of these around.
• When you foster, you are always paid a fostering subsidy. When you are in a straight adoption pre-adoptive placement you also get a subsidy. After you adopt you get a subsidy based on special needs level. Adoption subsidies are less than fostering subsidies; adoption ultimately saves money for the state.
• A special needs adoption gives you a $10-11,000 tax credit. These adoptions don't cost much money, so it's not a reimbursement, it's just a lump sum that reduces your taxes paid. The credit can be taken over several years. If your income is very high it phases out. The terrible part is that if your income is low and you don't pay enough taxes, you might not get the whole amount! Also, if you adopt a larger sibling group, it's very unlikely you'll get the full amount for each child back.
• Children with special needs are covered by Medicaid.
• Any route you take involves extensive mandatory training. My husband and I have taken almost 40 hours of formal training (and much more in informal research). The quality of the training can vary. I thought ours was great but I've heard other people say theirs was terrible.
• Foster-to-adopt can be difficult for people with no children. If you are desperate for a child the emotional impact of returning a child can be stronger. On the other hand, if you already have children, there's another impact to consider... how will they handle having a brother or sister going away?
• There are a million problems that can and do arise. Failed placements or adoption disruption, of course.
• In terms of pre-placement emotional support, I doubt the state will give you anything. The social workers are too busy taking care of immediate emergency needs of children to babysit foster or adoptive parents. You may get more support from agencies. Generally, we're on our own. It can get really depressing. Just look at some of my posts from December. Internet and local support groups are incredibly helpful. I would have quit this six months ago if I hadn't already met people who had done it successfully.
• After placement, support is (again) variable. Respite care is important. The only way to find out about post-placement support is to talk to people in your location.