The Need
In California alone, there are nearly 80,000
children in the foster care system. The majority of these children
will never return to their family of origin. They are waiting for
the one thing they need the most: a permanent, loving family.
Without this permanence, their future is grim. Children age out of
the system at 18 years of age into a world for which few of us would
be prepared at that age. Many will not complete high school. Most
will be underemployed or will have difficulty keeping a job. Most
alarming, over half will be homeless or incarcerated within two
years. The need is urgent.
Who are the Children?
They are very special children, and they all have
special needs. They are children who have been abused and neglected,
who may have been exposed to drugs and alcohol before birth, or who
have experienced a wide range of traumas. The children who need
permanent families in California are primarily African-American and
Latino. They may be part of sibling sets of 2, 3, 4, or more. Most
of them are age 6 and older, many are in their teens.
Children are usually not able to talk about their
experiences, so if they have had traumatic experiences they might
exhibit behaviors such as temper tantrums, crying inconsolably,
overeating, hitting, withdrawing, or sexual acting out. This is what
we mean by "special needs."All of the children we place are court
dependants; they are referred by the County or State Departments of
Social Services (see especially
www.adoptionsf.org).
You can learn
about specific issues in our Glossary of Adoption Terms.
Who Can Adopt?
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People who rent an apartment can adopt.
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Single men and women can adopt.
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Gay and lesbian families can adopt.
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People with moderate incomes can adopt.
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People who speak only Spanish can adopt.
We are looking for people with big hearts and a love
of children, whose employment, housing, relationships, and health
are stable. You must be able to provide for your family, and ensure
that your home will have the appropriate number of bedrooms to
accommodate the children.
What is the Process for Adopting a Waiting Child and How Long Will it Take?
| 1. |
Call us at
510-272-0204 or email us at kids@familybuilders.org . We'll talk
to you a little bit, tell you about the children and our
process, ask you a few questions, and tell you when our next
orientation is. |
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| 2. |
Come to an
orientation after your conversation with a social worker. Orientations in English are held on the 1st
Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m., and in Spanish as
requested. Feel free to bring a person to whom you will be
looking for support during and after the process. You'll learn
more about what it is like to adopt a child who is waiting and
who has special needs. One of our social workers will talk with
you about the process, how long it takes, and what is required.
Of course, there will be time for your questions as well. |
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The intake meeting is
held in your home with a Family Builders social worker. We
will discuss the type of child for whom you would be the most
appropriate match, and we will begin to get to know you. We will
ask about who lives in your home, what you do for work and fun,
how your extended family might feel about your decision to
adopt, your beliefs about child rearing, and more. |
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After the intake
interview, you will be contacted about paperwork and
fingerprinting, and you will be invited to participate in our
training program. While you are going through the training
process, you will also be completing the required paperwork.
Once you have turned in a majority of your paperwork you will
meet with a social worker for home study interviews. The
home study consists of a series of visits with you during which
we ask you questions so we may make a thorough assessment of
such issues as your:: |
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It’s important to be
forthcoming and honest. The home study is our way of getting to
know you even better so we may assess your unique strengths and
areas where you may need help later on in the process. We use
this information to match you with a child whose needs you can
meet. This part of the process usually takes 4 to 6 months |
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| 5. |
After your training
is finished and your home study has been approved, it is time to
begin the search for your child. This process can take some
time, so please be patient! Family Builders’ staff will work
with you very closely during your search for a child |
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| 6. |
Once you and your
social worker agree that your family can meet the needs of the
child you have identified, you will meet with the child's social
worker and be given as much information about the child as is
available. |
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| 7. |
You will be given
some time to think about what you have heard. If you decide to
go ahead with the process, we will set up an initial meeting and
a schedule for visitation with the child. |
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| 8. |
After the visitation
period, the child will be placed in your home as a foster child,
(this is why we call the process “fost-adopt”) and we will work
with you to insure the best possible transition for your entire
family. |
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As you await
finalization of your adoption, we will assist you in negotiating
the Adoption Assistance Program fees which you will receive from
the federal, state and county governments to assist you until
the child reaches 18 years of age. |
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Please note that the entire
process is an assessment of your skills and capacity to be a
parent to a child or children waiting in foster care. Not all
applicants are determined to be eligible to become adoptive
parents of waiting children, but we encourage everyone to
explore the possibility! |
The Training Process
The children served by Family Builders and the
families who adopt them come from a variety of difficult
backgrounds. Children with histories of prenatal drug exposure,
trauma, neglect, and physical and sexual abuse bring challenges to
even the most committed and loving parents. Our initial training
sessions give families insight to the complexities of early abuse
and trauma, as well as new ways of helping children heal and thrive.
Family Builders uses the Foster/Adopt P.R.I.D.E.
Training Model. PRIDE stands for Parent's Resource for Information,
Development and Education. This curriculum was developed through a
national collaborative effort. The training is 20 hours long and
consists of three Saturdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and one evening 6 p.m.
to 8 p.m. The topics covered include:·
- Understanding the PRIDE model, working as part of
a team towards permanence, strengthening family relationships, keep
family relationships, planning for change. ·
- Meeting children's developmental needs in the
areas of attachment and loss, understanding the importance of racial
and cultural awareness in adoption. ·
- Meeting children's developmental needs in the
area of discipline, understanding mandated child abuse reporting
requirements, reviewing Family Builders’ parent manual and regulatory
compliance. Family Builders also provides the opportunity to meet
with an experienced adoptive parent(s), and adult children who have
left the foster care system, to hear about their experiences and
perspectives, and to ask them your questions.
Confidentiality
We want you to know that confidentiality is one of
our highest priorities. We understand that during the home study
process you will be trusting us with information that is sensitive
and confidential, and we guard that information carefully. We will
reveal nothing without your written permission. In addition to our
respect for your confidences, Federal Law is very specific about
confidentiality for both your family and the children with whom we
work.
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