THE ROAD TO ADOPTION - NEXT STEPS

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Host: We hope you've enjoyed listening to the many stories of hope and success. These children's lives were changed because of caring parents that chose to reach out to a child waiting for someone to give them a precious gift: the special love of a family to call their own. 

Of course there's a lot to consider if you're thinking of adopting or becoming a foster parent. You may be asking, "Where do I start? Where do I go from here?" We asked Sarah Gerstenzang from AdoptUSKids to explain the basic steps of the adoption process. 

No Audio: Sarah Gerstenzang, AdoptUSKids

Sarah Gerstenzang: States vary in the process that they use to license foster and adoptive parents in the United States, but in general, the process is seven steps. So the first thing you would do is contact an agency in your area. You could call AdoptUSKids or you could look in the Yellow Pages and find a local agency. 

The second step would be attending an orientation in your neighborhood, and you actually may want to attend several orientations, just to find the right fit for you based on the different types of agencies there are out there. 

The third step would be the training and this can vary in length. Usually it's about four to ten sessions and it would be over a number of weeks. This is a great opportunity for prospective parents to learn about the difference between fostering and adopting and to see which path would be right for them. They can also learn about the circumstances that children have come from who've entered the foster care system and ways that prospective parents can work with them to help them have a healthy and happy childhood. 

The application is the fourth step, and that would just be filling out the paperwork that the agency requires. You write information about where you work, what your interests are, what your background is, how large your family is, what support you might have in your community, whether you go to religious services, that kind of thing, and what your interests are, as well as the type of child or children that you might be interested in parenting. 

The fifth step would be the mutual assessment and the home study. And this is when the caseworker comes to your home, makes sure your space is safe, but most importantly it's an opportunity for you to talk to the caseworker and ask any questions that you might have at this point in the process, and an opportunity for the caseworker to ask you questions about the things in your application that maybe they weren't clear about from the agency perspective. 

The sixth step is licensing. This is very easy. This is when you sit back and wait for the caseworker to put all the materials together from your application and make sure that you're meeting the requirements of your state to be licensed. 

And after you receive your license, you move on to the seventh and final step which is placement, and this is when you begin to talk with your caseworker about the types of children that are out in foster care, waiting for foster and adoptive homes, and work to having one of those or a number of those children placed with you. 

And this total process takes about 12 months. But, again, that can vary on your agency and your state and even what type of child you're interested in taking into your home. 

Host: Now that you've started your journey, we encourage you to take the next step. Contact the agency on the cover or your DVD. Consider attending an orientation meeting in your area. You can also call the AdoptUSKids toll free number, at 1-888-200-4005, or log on to adoptuskids.org, and they will have a foster adoption advocate from your area promptly contact you to help you get started. 

This is a life-changing journey, and, yes, it's hard work and challenging. But the rewards are great, and the difference you can make in the life of a waiting child is worth it all.