St. Joseph Children's Home Foster Care and Adoption Program facilitates adoptions from the foster care system.

Adopting from the foster care system is one of the least expensive ways to expand your family. The main expense with Foster Care Adoption is the attorney's fees usually about $1,000, but these are reimbursable from the state of Kentucky. There are no fees for the home study process or the training and support you receive. In addition children that you adopt through foster care may be eligible for medical insurance from the state, tuition waivers for state higher education, and a monthly adoption subsidy to help the family meet the child's special needs.

Families are as diverse as the children who are available for adoption. The parents may be single or married, they may or may not be the same race as the child, they do not have to be rich just financially stable, they do not have to own their home simply have enough room for another child.

The main qualification is that the parents be committed for the long haul and be willing to work with the child as they overcome their past traumas. Parents must understand that it will take a long time for the child to function well in their new family.

Children in foster care were removed from their families due to abuse, neglect or abandonment. The child might live temporarily with extended family, a foster family or in a group home while social workers try to help the birth family. If the birth family's problems can't be resolved, the agency that has custody of the child goes to court to legally terminate parental rights. At this point, social workers try to find a safe and loving adoptive family for the child. Ages range from 4 to early adulthood, although the average age is eight. Virtually every race, ethnic group and socio-economic category is represented. Some children are in foster care alone and others are in foster care with siblings. Those most in need of homes would be children over the age of 10 and large sibling groups (3 or more).

Many foster children have been emotionally, physically, and sexually abused. As a result, they may have emotional, behavioral, mental or physical problems. Many are insecure, frightened, confused, and often angry about what is happening to them. Based on their past and the disruption in their lives, these children sometimes present challenging behaviors.

The application/certification process takes about 3-4 months. There is a 10 session/36 hour training program which covers the basic topics you will need to know to bring a foster child into your family. CPR/First Aid certification is required. There is also paperwork and background checks and references to gather. After training is complete there will be a home visit where the placement specialist goes over health and safety issues in the home and discuses any questions you might have. A Home Study is written that assesses the potential adoptive family and summarizes their strengths, skills, attitudes and other qualifications that bear on the challenges of adoptive parenting.

Then a match is sought. Having children come live with you is a big commitment, so finding the right match is crucial. Children are placed for adoption by matching their needs with adoptive parents' or families' situations. You will never be forced to accept a child, you select the level of needs and age range you will consider.

There is a minimum of a 6 month window prior to finalization during which the child is placed in your home for adoption but remains under the care of the state. If the placement is stable and everyone is ready, finalization of the adoption proceeds.

After your home has been certified, the amount of time it takes to place a child with you is dependent on several factors. It will be dependent on the range of ages, behaviors and special circumstances you will consider. The more open you are to age range, number of children and behavior issues, the more quickly a child can be placed with you. Conversely, if you are very specific and narrow in these ranges it may take a while to find a child who matches your criteria.

All of the children we serve are foster children and remain in the foster care system until the day you go to court and finalize your adoption. In fact you will be considered foster to adopt parents until that day. While in your home before finalization, a minimum of a 6 month time frame, the child is still in the custody of the state. There is no risk they will be moved to another home because they are in your home for adoptive placement.

Before finalization you will have all the requirements of a foster parent. You will be expected to function as a member of the child's care team and will advocate for the child's needs. There will be documentation that you will be required to keep on a daily basis. You will need to get further specialized training of at least 24 hours per year (provided free by our agency). You will need to remain calm, patient, and loving even when the child expresses their anger and confusion in less than socially acceptable ways.

St. Joseph Children's Home is a small agency that gives our parents a lot of pre-adoption support and training. In 2008 we facilitated 13 adoptions. If you wish to adopt from foster care and are open to an older child or a sibling group St. Joseph Children's Home may be the right agency for you. Our case workers have very small case loads and are available 24 hours. St. Joseph Children's Home does not specialize in infant adoptions.

Call Beth Yeager at 893-0241 ext. 238 or e-mail . You will come in for an information meeting where we will go over the required paperwork and background checks and answer any questions that you have. Then you can sign up to begin the next 10 session training. If you have been thinking about adoption for a while give us a call and lets get started. Our children need families!