- What is adoption?
What is Adoption?
Adoption is a legal process that permanently gives parental rights to adoptive parents. Adoption means taking a child into your home as a permanent family member.
It means caring for and guiding children through their growing years; and giving them the love and understanding they need to develop their full potential.
- I am interested in adopting. How do I get started?
I'm interested in adoption. How do I get started?Find an adoption agency that you would like to work with. Click the "Find an Agency" tab on our menu.
If you live in California, you may call the California Adoption and Foster Care Referral Line at 1-800-KIDS-4US for a referral. If you do not live in California, call AdoptUSKids at 1-888-200-4005.
Be sure to learn about the adoption process. A good general overview of the fost-adopt process can be found here.
- How do I find an adoption agency to work with?
How do I find an Adoption Agency to work with?
If you live in California, there is a list of fost-adopt agencies
you can search here. You may also call the California Adoption and
Foster Care Referral Line at 1-800-KIDS-4-US.
If you do not live in California, please contact AdoptUsKids at 1-888-200-4005, or fill out the
AdoptUsKids
request for information form. The federal AdoptUSKids project will send you a packet of infonnation
about foster care and adoption in the mail a social worker from California will call you to follow up and provide you with a list of adoption agencies in your county so that you can
attend an orientation and find an adoption agency that you feel comfortable working with.
- I already have a homestudy. How should I use this site to express interest in a waiting child?
I already have a home study. How do I use this site to express interest in a waiting child?
If you have a completed fost/adoption homestudy, you may search for a
child on this website. Click on "View Waiting Children." You can then enter criteria for the type of child(ren) you feel prepared to parent.
If you would like to express interest in a child, click on the yellow "I'm Interested" button. Fill out the form, and press the button that says, "Send your Interest Form."
The form will be sent to the child(ren)'s Adoption Worker. Be assured that your form will be received by the child's Adoption Worker. Because of the volume of
responses that Adoption Workers receive for some children, it may take a while to respond to your Interest form. The child always comes first, so workers will give
priority to the families or individuals who most closely match the child's needs. It is the responsibility of the Adoption Worker to respond to family inquiries.
The California Kids Connection website provides the inquiry function as a service, and has no responsibility for inquiries after they are submitted. You may not hear back
from the Adoption Worker. It is the policy of some counties to not respond to inquiring families unless they are being considered as an adoptive family for the child.
If you have any questions about this process, please send an email to:
kidsconnection2@familybuilders.org.
- I submitted an inquiry. Why haven't I heard anything from the child's worker?
I submitted an inquiry, Why haven't I heard anything from the child's adoption worker?
Be assured that your form will be received by the child's Adoption Worker. Because of the
volume of responses that Adoption Workers receive for some children, it may take a while to respond to your Interest form. The child always comes first, so workers will give priority to the families or
individuals who most closely match the child's needs. It is the responsibility of the Adoption Worker to respond to family inquiries. The California Kids Connection website provides the inquiry function
as a service, and has no responsibility for inquiries after they are submitted. You may not hear back from the Adoption Worker. It is the policy of some counties to not respond to inquiring families
unless they are being considered as an adoptive family for the child. If you have any questions about this process, please send an
email to: kidsconnection2@familybuilders.org.
- How much does it cost to adopt a child?
How much does it cost to adopt a child?
Most licensed, private, nonprofit adoption agencies do not charge fees for adopting from foster care. The fees of those that do charge
will vary. You should ask about the fee schedule when you initially contact an adoption agency.
Public adoption agencies (county adoption departments) and
CDSS adoptions district offices require that you pay a fee of $500 at the time a report is filed to the court recommending that an adoption petition be approved. This fee may be
deferred, reduced, or waived under certain circumstances.
- How long will it take to adopt a child?
How long will it take to adopt a child?
In an agency adoption, the process may be lengthy but well worth the wait. It typically takes anywhere from six months
to a year to complete an adoption homestudy. The length of time depends greatly on you and how quickly you schedule the necessary appointments and complete your paperwork.
- Will I need a lawyer?
Will I need a lawyer?
Services of an attorney are generally not necessary when working with a public or private adoption agency to adopt a child from foster care.
- In addition to adopting, how else can I help children in foster care?
In addition to adopting, how else can I help children in foster care?
We hope that you are able to become an adoptive parent. However, there are also many other ways that you can
help children in foster care. Here are some suggestions for how you can help:
- Contact your local adoption agency, county social service office, or family court and
ask about volunteer or donor opportunities.
- Volunteer as a court appointed special advocate (CASA) for a foster child.
- Arrange for a adoption specialist from a
fost/adopt agency or the county to speak at your place of employment, worship, civic group, or parent/teacher organization.
- Tell other people about adoption and the needs of
foster children.
- Conduct fundraising events or donate time, money, or material goods to help children in foster care
- What are the differences between the different types of adoption?
- How do I adopt a child from another country?
How do I adopt a child from another country?
Contact a licensed agency that does intercountry adoption. California Kids Connection is a website that only lists available children who are
currently in foster care in California. You can search for an agency that does intercountry adoption at
Adopt US Kids - Understanding interstate adoption.
- What is the difference between adoption and guardianship?
What is the difference between adoption and guardianship?
Adoption is permanent. Adoptive parents have the same legal rights and responsibilities as parents with biological children. A
guardian is someone appointed by the court to care for a child until he or she is 18. If you become a guardian, the court grants you the right to make most decisions regarding the child. A
uardian is not a child's legal parent and may be subject to ongoing supervision of the court. Guardianship does not give all the legal rights and responsibilities of a parent to the
guardian the way adoption does to an adoptive parent. The court can make a decision about guardianship whether or not the parent agrees.
- Can I adopt a child from another State?
Can I adopt a child from another State?
Yes. This process is more difficult because there are complex laws and funding mechanisms regarding the placement of children across state
lines, but it is not impossible. You can find more information about inter-jurisdictional placements
here.
- My partner and I work. Will I have to quit my job if we want to adopt?
My partner and I work. Will I have to quit my job if we want to adopt?
NO. Both parents may be working as long as appropriate childcare arrangements are made. The
State also enacted new legislation which extends disability compensation to allow individuals who take time off work to bond with a new child. For more information about eligibility and benefit
amounts of the Paid Family Leave Insurance visit www.paidfamilyleave.org.
- I don't own my own home. I live in an apartment. Can I adopt?
I don't own my own home. I live in an apartment. Can I adopt?
YES. You don't have to own a house to give a home to a child in need. You can rent or own as long as your home has enough
room for all the family members. You must, however, have renter's insurance. What is most important is the love, understanding, and guidance you can offer a child.
- Can single parents adopt?
Can single parents adopt?
YES. Single men and women can adopt. In fact, approximately one-fourth of the children adopted from the public foster care system are adopted by single individuals.
- Can gays and lesbians adopt?
Can gays and lesbians adopt?
YES. Sexual orientation is not a barrier to adopting from foster care in California.
- I'm over forty. Am I to old to adopt?
I'm over forty. Am I too old to adopt?
Not necessarily. As long as you are in good health and have the energy and desire to be a parent age is not a factor. A 50 to
55-year-old person or couple may be perfect for the adoption of an older child or siblings.
