David’s Book on Fatherhood and Adoption
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FINDING FOREVER Vader voor altijd Available in Dutch (not published in English) ISBN: 9022540375 click here to order |
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FINDING FOREVER Lasst mich euer Vater sein Available in German (not published in English) May 2005 ISBN: 3404615662 click here to order |
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If you would like more information on Adoption in Los Angeles County, please click here.
Questions and Answers you may have about adopting- from LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES. Please check in your local state or country for your area specific information. The following only pertains to California.
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What are the differences between foster care, fost-adopt and adoption?
Foster care is intended to be a temporary substitute family for the protection of a child. The goal of foster care is to re-unite the child with his or her birth family. Adoption is intended to last a lifetime and to provide a child with a permanent family when birth parents are unable to parent. Adoption creates a legal parent-child relationship. Adoptive parents have the same rights and responsibilities as parents whose children are born to them. A fost-adopt placement occurs when approved adoptive families take children into their homes pending the termination of the birth parents rights to the child. Prior to termination of rights, the child is in the family’s home under the guidelines of foster care. Once parental rights are terminated adoptive placement papers can be signed.
Do I have to be married to adopt?
No. Whether you are single, married or divorced, you are encouraged to apply to adopt.
Do I have to own a home to adopt?
No. Home ownership is not required, but your living arrangement needs to have bedroom space and provide a safe environment for a child.
Is adoption expensive?
No. Many families who adopt through the Department of Children and Family Services have little to no adoption costs. DCFS waives it’s fee for all adoptions of children with special needs. If a family incurs any adoption related costs, up to $400.00 of the costs can be reimbursed to the family after the adoption is finalized through the Non-Recurring Adoption Expense Program. There are tax credits for adoption related expenses for which a family may qualify. Public Counsel and the Alliance for Children’s Rights provide pro bono legal services to assist families with finalizing their adoption of a court dependent child.
Is there financial and medical assistance available to adoptive families?
Yes. The Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) provides an adoption subsidy, and medical coverage is available through Medi-Cal for children from the time of adoptive placement until age eighteen, or until age twenty-one if the child has a physical or mental handicap. All children in the dependency system are eligible for AAP benefits. The amount of assistance is equivalent to the amount the child would have received in foster care.
What are the important qualities considered in the selection of adoptive parents?
When identifying a family for a child, the child’s needs are taken into consideration. Successful adoptive parents tend to be patient, flexible and have a strong desire to nurture, parent and love a child.
How long will it take for me to adopt?
As each family and adoption is unique, the time between the adoption orientation and the finalization of the adoption varies. The agency is committed to making every effort to place children with appropriate adoptive families as quickly as possible. Some of the factors that may impact the time an adoption takes include: type of child requested by the family, the family’s readiness to obtain/complete the required home study forms and documents, and the number and complexity of cases the adoptions social worker is assigned.
Can I adopt a child of a different race or ethnicity than my family?
Adoptive parents are not required to be of the same race or ethnic background as the child they adopt. As part of the adoption home study, families are asked to consider their comfort and ability in meeting the cultural and identity needs of a child of another race or ethnicity.
If I live outside the United States, can I adopt a child?
Our agency is licensed to do domestic adoption only. If you are interested in international adoption, you would need to work with one of your local adoption agencies that has an international program. They can do your adoptive homestudy and assist you in finding a child from another country.
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