First Steps Toward Foster Care and Adoption
By Carrie Craft, About.com Guide to Adoption / Foster Care
Are you wondering if adoption or foster care is right for your family? What is it like, parenting someone else's child? Are you considering placing your child for adoption or seeking out an adult child placed many years ago? Most first steps on a new journey begin with questions. Find answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about adoption and foster care here.
- Making the Decision to Adopt
- Making the Decision to Be a Foster Parent
- The Adoption Process
- International Adoption
Making the Decision to Adopt
It doesn't matter if you're already parenting, have adopted in the past or lacking the sound of little feet running around your home, more than likely the thought of adopting a child brings a bit of fear. It also brings up many questions. Let's focus on finding some answers.
- Before You Decide Adopting a Child Is for You
- Before You Start the Adoption Process
- Considering Interracial Adoption
- What Is an Open Adoption?
- Why Choose an Open Adoption? - The Pros and Cons
- To Add a Child or Not to Add a Child - Timing May be the Answer
- How Much Does an Adoption Cost?
- Common Myths About Open Adoption
- Reluctant to Be a Dad
Making the Decision to Be a Foster Parent
Here's a fun statistic. Most people spend 12 to 18 months thinking about foster care before taking the steps to becoming licensed. So, what is keeping you from taking those first steps?
- Is Foster Care for You?
- 10 Things You Can Do Now to Be Ready to Do Foster Care Later
- The Challenges of Foster Care
- To Add a Child or Not to Add a Child - Timing May be the Answer
The Adoption Process
The best place to begin any process is with information! Learn all you can about adoption and adoptive parenting.
- Before You Start the Adoption Process
- Getting Started with the Adoption Process
- Gay Adoption 101
- How To Complete a Foster Care Adoption
- Getting Started with an International Adoption
- How to Complete a Step-Parent Adoption
- What Is a Home Study?
- What Is a Child Referral?
- What Are the Differences in the Level of Contact in Open Adoptions?
- When Is an Open Adoption Not a Good Idea?
International Adoption
The world of international adoption is always changing it seems. So it's important to stay up to date on the changing world of international adoption and the issues.
- What Is the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption?
- Top 5 Reasons to Re-Adopt Your Internationally Adopted Child Once Back in the US
- Can a U.S. Child Be Adopted by Parents Who Are Citizens of Another Country?
- Russian Adoption
- Ukraine Adoption
- Guatemala Adoption
- China Adoption
- Can an Adult From a Foreign Country be Adopted into the United States?
Single Parent Adoption
Don't discount yourself from parenthood due to your single status. There are children waiting to fill your heart and home. Single parent adoptions are very popular and possible.
Interracial Adoptions
Thanks to the Multi-Ethnic Placement Act of 1994 and the revisions made in 1996, it is against the law to prohibit an adoption or delay an adoption based solely on the race of the adoptive parents or child. Now the decision rests mainly with the families, social workers, and agencies involved. What issues should you consider before making the final decision to adopt interracially?
- Considering Interracial Adoption
- The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute Explores Interracial Adoptions
- Multi-Ethnic Placement Act
- Cross-Cultural Adoption: The Do's and Don'ts for Grown-Ups
- What do you think about transracial adoptions?
- 14 Ways to Focus on Culture
- Skin Conditions and Children of Color
First Few Days Home with Your Child
I remember when we went and picked up our first foster child. We were so nervous and really, really cautious and over protective. Those first few days we really didn't know what we were doing, but we wanted to do everything perfectly. We quickly learned that that wasn't possible, so we just decided to do our best.
