Throughout the years, we’ve gotten many questions on how we found out about the foster-to-adopt program option and how you can find this program in your state. While each state differs, we’re happy to share the process on finding foster-to-adopt programs in your state.
Finding a Foster-to-Adopt (Public Adoption) Program for Children Ready for a Forever Home
Adopting a child through the foster care system, specifically through a foster-to-adopt program, provides a unique and fulfilling opportunity to offer a permanent home to a child or children in need. This approach focuses on fostering children who are already eligible for adoption (or nearly eligible) and ready for a forever home. Here’s a detailed guide on how to find and navigate a foster-to-adopt (public adoption) program in your state.
Step 1: Understand the Foster-to-Adopt Process & The Children Involved
The foster-to-adopt process involves fostering children who are legally free (or nearly legally free) for adoption, meaning their biological parents’ rights have been terminated or termination is planned. You’ll hear the term TPR often, which means “Termination of Parental Rights.” When the TPR is granted, this allows prospective parents to foster with the intention of adopting, providing a near seamless transition for the child into a permanent home. This is different from the traditional foster care program where the goal is reunification with their biological parents. Typically, these children are already in the foster care system AND their current caretaker was not able to/did not want to pursue adoption AND either TPR has already been granted OR the children’s social worker can see that the case is progressing towards TPR.
Who Are the Children Available for Adoption Through the Public Adoptions Program?
The children available for adoption through public adoptions program are in the foster care system and cannot return to their birth families for various reasons. They are typically school-aged (5-17), though there are sometimes infants and toddlers. Many are part of sibling groups and would benefit from being adopted together. (Many public adoptions specialists will say that there are never any babies/toddlers in the program. We’ve found this to be inaccurate. We had many calls for children that were as young as 18 months to 24 months old.)
Types of Children in the Program:
- Abandoned children
- Victims of abuse or neglect
- At high risk of harm
- Children with incarcerated or hospitalized parents
- Children with significant medical or mental health needs
Considerations for Adopting from Foster Care
Most, if not all, children in foster care have experienced trauma, which can manifest in emotional and behavioral challenges even after adoption. Prospective adoptive parents should be prepared for the possibility of delayed trauma responses and be willing to seek additional education, support, and services to meet their child’s evolving needs. Please note that even in traditional domestic or international adoption, the babies and children will most likely have experienced trauma from being removed from their biological family. Even babies born from gestational carriers will most likely have trauma from being removed from the women who carried them for nine plus months, regardless if they are biological or not. Adoption comes with trauma.
Children adopted from foster care may come from diverse cultural backgrounds, bringing with them the values, customs, and traditions of their birth families and any foster families they have lived with. Maintaining connections with birth family members, siblings, and former foster families, when safe and appropriate, can provide additional support for the child and adoptive family. However, if it is determined that it is not safe to maintain a connection to your child’s biological family, it is best to take that advice very seriously. In our case, it was not safe for our daughters to have a connection with their biological family or as we call them: “first family.”
Step 2: Research State Requirements Locate & Your Local Foster Care Agency
Each state has its own set of requirements and procedures for foster-to-adopt parents. These can include age, marital status, income level, and housing conditions. Begin by researching the specific criteria in your state to ensure you meet the qualifications.
- Visit Your State’s Child Welfare Website: Look for sections on public adoption and “Adoption from Foster Care” to find detailed requirements.
- For the state of Wisconsin, we used: WI Family Connections Center
- Then read more about Public Adoption (Adoption from Foster Care) – click here to read the Public Adoption (Adoption from Foster Care) Information Packet
- For the state of Wisconsin, we used: WI Family Connections Center
- Contact Local Agencies: Speak directly with representatives who can provide personalized guidance.
- In Wisconsin, we emailed info@wifamilyconnectionscenter.org to inquire about more information and to ask how we can sign up for an information session.
Step 3: Attend Information Sessions
Most agencies offer orientation sessions where you can learn more about the foster-to-adopt (public adoption) process. These sessions cover:
- The needs of children in the foster care system.
- The steps involved in becoming a foster-to-adopt parent.
- The support and resources available to you.
- Keep in mind that these informational meetings can get you very emotional. We heard about how children come into foster care and it can be heartbreaking to process. Make sure to take some time after the meeting to discuss how life-changing this will be for you, the child(ren), and your family.
Step 4: Complete the Application Process
After attending an information session, and you’ve decided that you’d like to move forward, you’ll need to go through a detailed application process. This typically often involves:
- Application Form: Provide information about your background, family situation, and motivation for adopting.
- Home Study: A comprehensive assessment conducted by a social worker to evaluate your home environment and readiness for adoption.
- Background Checks: To ensure the safety of the child.
Step 5: Get Licensed or Approved
Upon successful completion of the application process and meeting all the necessary requirements, you will be licensed or approved as a foster-to-adopt parent. This allows you to start fostering children who are heading towards adoption. Please keep in mind, in some states, including Wisconsin, you can only have ONE license at a time: foster care license or adoption license. For instance, at the beginning of the process when we weren’t chosen for the children we submitted our homestudy for, we briefly discussed applying for a traditional foster care license so we could foster children in need. In Wisconsin, we weren’t allowed to, as we can only have one license at a time. So we continued with our wait in the foster-to-adopt program and thankfully it worked out for the best!
Be prepared for a lot of paperwork. At the beginning of this process, we made it a point to get all our paperwork done as soon as possible, making it a priority over many other things. Here are the list of items we had to complete:
Adoption Study Materials – to be completed, signed & submitted:
- Adoption Application
- Authorization/Consent to Release Records
- Notice of Privacy Practices Receipt and Acknowledgment
- Grievance Procedure Receipt and Acknowledgement
- Acknowledgement of Foster Home Insurance Program
- Foster Parent Notice – Confidentiality of Records
- Description of Home/Neighborhood
- Resource Family Disaster Plan
- Fire Evacuation Plan
- Background Information Disclosure
- Resource Family Assessment (References: Child/Personal/Employment)
- Adoptive Parent Health Form – Parent A
- Adoptive Parent Health Form – Parent B
- SAFE Questionnaire I (Parent A)
- SAFE Questionnaire II (Parent B)
- Foster Home Agreement
- DCF 56 Foster Home Licensing Checklist
- Application for Foster Home License
Verifications to be viewed by adoption worker:
- Birth certifications
- Marriage License
- Fire Evacuation Plan
- Wood Burning Unit inspection, if applicable
Verifications to be copied for submission:
- Proof of Auto Insurance
- Proof of Homeowners Insurance
- Pet Certifications of Vaccinations (Rabies)
- Financial Statement (One month pay stub / previous years’ tax return)
This also doesn’t include the multiple interviews, home inspections, and 25 hours of pre-adoption trainings (6 hours in-person) that we had to complete, as well.
Step 6: Foster with the Intention to Adopt
With your license in hand, you can begin fostering children who are legally free for adoption. Your Public Adoptions Worker will call you when they have potential matches for you. After you listen to the child’s information, you then decide if you’d like to submit your homestudy to the child’s case manager. If so, your Public Adoptions Worker will do so and will let you know if they hear back. This part of the process took a lot of patience on our part. We received many calls and we’re open to nearly all of the children. However, the wait felt so long (from April 2020 to October 2020) until we were matched with our sweet little daughters. During those 6 months, we had calls for 10 children. I will share the ages and reasons they were removed from their first families to give you an idea if this program seems right for you:
- May – Age 1.5 – Reason: Caretaker’s inability to cope, Caretaker(s) Incarceration, Neglect
- May – Age 2.5 – Reason: Caretaker’s inability to cope, Caretaker(s) Incarceration, Neglect
- May – Age 4 – Reason: Caretaker’s inability to cope, Caretaker(s) Incarceration, Neglect
- June – Age 1 – Reason: Caretaker’s drug abuse, Caretaker(s) Incarceration, Neglect
- July – Age 2.5 – Reason: Neglect and physical abuse
- July – Age 7.5 – Reason: Caretaker’s inability to cope
- July – Age 4 – Reason: Caretaker’s inability to cope
- August – Age 2 – Reason: Caretaker’s drug abuse and Neglect
- August – Age 3.5 – Reason: Caretaker’s drug abuse and Neglect
- October – Age 2 – Our daughter!
- October – Age 4 – Our daughter!
- October – Age 6 – Reason: Caretaker’s drug abuse
- October – Age 3.5 – Reason: Caretaker’s drug abuse
Once you have been matched, the excitement really starts! This period allows you to bond with the child(ren) and prepare for a permanent adoption. It’s truly amazing to add a child to your family and pour so much love onto them. You’ll learn so much about them and ultimately they make you a better person. You’ll all learn, grow, and get into a new groove as a family. The agency will provide support and resources during this transition.
Step 7: Finalize the Adoption
When you and the child are ready, and all legal requirements are met, you can proceed with the adoption. This involves:
- Legal Procedures: Completing necessary paperwork and court hearings to finalize the adoption. TPR needs to be granted before the adoption can take place.
- Support Services: Utilizing post-adoption services offered by the agency to ensure a smooth adjustment for your new family member. In certain situations, you can be provided adoption assistance if your children qualify for it. You will have to speak with your child’s case worker to see if they qualify. Even if your child doesn’t qualify for Adoption Assistance, your child’s social worker should be able to put $0 in the specific adoption assistance form and that should allow your child to qualify for State Insurance fee-free. In Wisconsin, the state insurance is through ForwardHealth and is commonly called Title 19.
Additional Resources
- AdoptUSKids (www.adoptuskids.org): Provides information and resources for foster-to-adopt parents.
- Child Welfare Information Gateway (www.childwelfare.gov): Offers comprehensive guides and state-specific information.
- National Foster Parent Association (www.nfpaonline.org): Supports foster parents with educational resources and advocacy.
- Adoption Tax Credit (www.irs.com): If your child qualifies for Adoption Assistance, your family should qualify for the Adoption Tax Credit.
- Become and Adoptive Parent (https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/adoption/adopt): More information on becoming an adoptive parent in Wisconsin.
- Chosen in Love (https://www.choseninlove.org/): A non-profit organization in the greater Milwaukee area helping foster and adoptive families. This includes a “Family Closet” where families can shop for children’s clothing and toys, free of charge.
- Wisconsin Families Connection Center (https://wifamilyconnectionscenter.org/how-do-i/adopt/): Gives more information about different types of adoption and provides more resources.
- Adoption from Foster Care (Public Adoption) Information (https://wifamilyconnectionscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/epacket_public_december2023.pdf)
Conclusion
Finding a foster-to-adopt program and adopting a child who is ready for a forever home is a deeply rewarding journey. By understanding the process, meeting state requirements, and working closely with your local Public Adoptions Worker, you can provide a stable and loving environment for a child in need of a forever family. The joy of welcoming a child into your family and giving them a permanent home is an incredible experience, one that changes lives forever.
To read our Foster-To-Adopt story, please click here!
Thank you for sharing all of this information, Amanda! You can’t even begin to imagine how helpful this is! My husband and I are looking to foster-to-adopt and found you in one of the local facebook groups. I’m going to email you with a few more questions!