Is Foster to Adoption right for you? Each year approximately 18,000 American youth will age out of the foster care system never having known the stability and love of a family “all their own.” Many of these children never received the support they needed to complete their education. They will likely end up unemployed or underemployed. Most will lack the opportunities that a stable home environment will provide. With so many couples and families looking to adopt for so many reasons, one of the most powerful ways to grow your family, impact your community, and change a child’s life is to adopt a foster child. What do you need to know about the foster to adoption process? There are requirements to consider and steps to be taken along this journey. From age ranges to support groups, here are some of the things you need to know about adopting a foster child. The biggest factor to prepare for is time. Waiting for the right match and for the legal aspects of the adoption process can be daunting, but the hope of offering love to a child is one can carry you through the time it takes to add to your family. The attorneys at Hall can walk with you through the Foster to adoption process and help you understand each step. Foster and Adoption Licensing Requirements
- A willingness to open your home
- Able to meet basic needs
- If single, must be at least 25 years of age and 10 years older than the child
- If married, must be at least 10 years older than the child
- Criminal records check
- Home safety checks
- Medical examination
- References
- Drug screen
- Georgia driver’s license if in GA (requirement for foster parents only)
- Completion of a two-hour Information Session
- Completion of 23-hour pre-service training
- Completion of a home evaluation
IMPACT
Prospective parents must participate in a course entitled Initial Interest, Mutual Selection, Pre-Service Training, Assessment, Continuing Development and Teamwork, or IMPACT. This meeting provides the family with information about what to expect and the Department of Family and Children’s Services role in the process. Families will learn their role as foster or adoptive parents and how this decision will impact both the family and the child.
Home Evaluations
During the home evaluation process, a case worker will make at least two home visits to ensure that your family meets all of the requirements. The case worker will document his or her findings to ensure that your home is ideal for the child you foster or adopt.
Georgia’s Foster Children
The state of Georgia had approximately 7,824 children in foster care last year; 2,370 of these children have a permanency goal of adoption. Out of those children, there are 250 children who are available for adoption and in need of loving, permanent homes. Let the Hall help you and your family can make a difference in one of these children’s lives. The adoption attorneys at The Hall will walk with you step by step to be sure that your rights, the rights of the birth parents, and the rights of the child are met.
Finding an adoption attorney to help you through this process
Let Hall & Navarro help you and your family make a difference in one of these children’s lives. Our adoption attorneys will walk with you step by step to be sure that your rights, the rights of the birth parents, and the rights of the child are met. Martha Hall concentrates in Family Law. Specifically, she concentrates in the areas of Divorce, Child Custody Issues, Child Support Issues, Adoption, Mediation, and Legitimation. Martha attended The University of Memphis—Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and received her Juris Doctorate, Law in 1994 from Georgia Southern University. The attorneys at Hall & Navarro provide focused and experienced representation from your initial consultation until the resolution of your legal matter. We are dedicated to serving individuals and businesses and offer a broad range of legal services.
