Foster Care and Adoption:
Having a Positive Impact on Children and Families in Need

by Mark Unger, Parents' Source, November 20, 2002.

There is no greater sense of joy and feeling of altruism than making a difference in the hearts and lives of children. There are many foster care and adoptive families who care for children in need, and reach out to their families. This article will shine some light on the world of foster care and adoption, and raise awareness of the positive approach used to help families who have children placed in the system.

Let's start with the most common questions. How do people become foster or adoptive parents? What are the qualifications and training requirements?

In order to become a foster or adoptive parent, the most important qualification is to have a heart for children. Interested individuals or couples receive an information packet and an invitation to attend upcoming orientation sessions. At these sessions, a more detailed description of foster care or adoption is provided. Questions regarding why children come into care, the need for confidentiality, payment for services, acceptable forms of discipline and the types of family adjustments they can expect are addressed. Visits with birth family members are often encouraged for foster parents, whereas with adoptive parents, this option depends on the circumstances surrounding the situation. In many cases, adoptive parents don't meet the birth parents because it is either inappropriate, or the parental rights have been terminated.

Once the orientation session is completed, the home study process begins. This includes interviews to learn more about the family, and the completion of necessary forms and documents. A home study worker determines, with the applicant, whether foster care or adoption is best for them. Agencies typically look for people who have a stable home environment, an ability to relate to and care for children, and a willingness to go the extra mile when needed.

Upon approval, the new foster or adoptive parent and the agency worker mutually decide the type of child with which the parent would work best. Options considered include the child's age, gender, race, behavioral issues, medical issues, and even the level of the child's family involvement. Some people start out caring for a child who has few, if any, behavioral or medical problems. Others choose to work with a medically needy child, or a child with other special needs. Many foster parents, after easing their way into foster care and gaining valuable experience, will then decide to open their homes to additional children.

What about the foster child's birth parents? How are visits set up? How long does a child stay in foster care? Can foster parents adopt the child if the child's parents are not able to have the child returned to them?

In most cases the child's parents and close relatives are offered visits every one or two weeks. Initially, visits take place at the agency office under the supervision of a social worker. Some agencies, like Bethanna, the agency for which I work, allow foster parents to become involved with these visits, by providing transportation, and interacting with the birth family. In doing so, the foster families assume a mentoring role with the child's family. This is referred to as the "Family to Family Initiative."

Quite often, when a child is placed into foster care, there is a great deal of distrust felt on behalf of the child's birth parents toward the foster parents. Therefore, foster parents are asked to do their best to build a positive and healthy rapport with the child's parents. Some amazing relationships are forged when foster parents embrace the roles of supporter and mentor to the parents of children placed in their care.

In the case of adoption, once parental rights are terminated and the adoption is finalized, adoptive parents assume all legal rights. How much, if any, contact with the birth family is determined by the adoptive parents.

A foster child becomes available for adoption once his or her parent's rights become terminated. When this occurs, an adoption resource is immediately pursued. If a relative is not able to adopt the child, the foster parents often become the best candidates. Once this is determined, the family is assigned an adoption worker, and then must go through an approval process. Children in the foster care system can also be adopted with the aid of an adoption agency or service, or an attorney. There are three types of adoption. They include foster to adopt, as explained above; domestic infant adoption, where a newborn is adopted right from a hospital; and international adoption, where a child is adopted from another country.

After a foster care placement or adoption takes place, there are support services to ensure a smooth transition. In the case of adoption, a social worker continues to meet with the adoptive family and assist in the court process of finalizing the adoption.

One concern many people express about foster care or adoption is the cost involved. In many situations, a child is eligible for a subsidy and/or medical coverage. The cost structure will depend on the agency or service used. Some state adoption programs are fully funded, so families have little to no expense.

In many ways, the foster care and adoption systems exist in worlds of their own. Getting involved to help a child in need of a home can be a very rewarding experience. As stated earlier, the most important qualification for becoming a foster or adoptive parent is to have a heart for children. If you have that and are willing to open your home, you could have a positive impact on children and families in crisis.

Mark Unger is Family Resource Specialist with Bethanna, Lancaster, PA. For more information, call 717-299-1926.

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