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Foster Parent Adoption
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Series: Bulletins for Professionals |
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Author(s):
Child Welfare Information Gateway
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| Year Published: 2006 |
5. Pre- and Postadoption Services
Pre- and postadoption services may be just as necessary for foster parent adoptions as they are for other types of adoption. The fact that the child has lived with the family as a foster child does not preclude the need for services at the time of the adoption or in the future. In addition, the family may require resources such as adoption subsidies or other types of assistance. Specifically, workers can help provide information about:
- Construction of an adoption assistance agreement that reflects the child's current and future needs; for more information, see the Child Welfare Information Gateway factsheet Adoption Assistance for Children Adopted From Foster Care.
- Formal support in the form of therapy or counseling resources or other mental health services, especially with therapists and counselors who have experience with adoptive families and will accept Medicaid
- Support groups for adoptive families, especially families who have adopted children with a history of maltreatment; for listings by State, see the National Foster Care & Adoption Directory.
- Experienced adoptive and foster parents who might serve as mentors
- Educational and informational services
- Parenting education, such as classes, conferences, and workshops
- Respite care, if available
Much of the preparation for adoption is best done through group trainings, where parents join other foster parents who are considering or currently taking this step. There are a number of curricula to prepare parents for fostering and adoption. Visit the Child Welfare Information Gateway webpage on Training for Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Families for links to curricula and other training information.
The Child Welfare Information Gateway bulletin Postadoption Services provides detailed information about the range of services that child welfare workers can facilitate or link families to in order to ensure that the adoption is successful.
This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway.