Welcoming a child into your family through adoption is an incredible journey of love and dedication.
In Pennsylvania, many families choose the heartwarming path of fostering to adopt. This unique process allows families to care for children in need of temporary homes, with the potential for these relationships to grow into forever families.
However, even if a child is reunited with their biological parents, these bonds remain — just listen to what Charisma Bowman, a Maryland Foster Parent, has to say in her heartfelt letter to her child:
"Even when you leave, please remember that you will always have a place here with us. You are our family, and nothing will change that."
The state of PA currently has just over 13,000 children in foster care, waiting for the comfort and security of a permanent home. Pennsylvania foster care is designed to provide these children with the love and stability they need while offering families a fulfilling way to grow.
Let’s go through the foster to adopt journey in Pennsylvania, from the initial steps to available support for adoptive parents.
We’ll start by exploring why fostering to adopt is such a wonderful option in Pennsylvania. However, it’s important to remember that foster care always has the goal of reuniting children in care with their biological families.
Fostering to adopt is a fantastic way to create a family while helping children in need. In Pennsylvania, this approach is rewarding and comes with numerous benefits and emotional rewards that make the journey worthwhile.
Fostering to adopt is often more affordable than private or international adoptions. Many costs associated with private adoptions, such as legal fees, are reduced or even covered by state programs when you foster to adopt.
This makes it a cost-effective way to grow your family and provide a loving home to a child in need.
Pennsylvania offers a range of supportive programs for families who foster with the hope of adopting. These include financial assistance, preservice sessions, and post-adoption services.
The state is committed to ensuring that families have the resources and support they need throughout the adoption process and beyond. This helps provide more children with forever homes.
By choosing to adopt, you are directly impacting the lives of local children who need stable, loving homes.
Many children in Pennsylvania’s foster care system are waiting for permanent families — more than 3,000!
By adopting through foster care, you will provide these children with the stability and care they deserve.
The journey of fostering to adopt is filled with emotional rewards. Many families who have adopted children share heartwarming stories of how their temporary placements turned into forever families.
These stories often highlight the incredible bonds and connections that develop over time.
Connie and David West, for example, share rewards they’ve found throughout the learning process of being adoptive parents.
Adoption allows families to form deep, meaningful attachments with the children they welcome into their homes.
These bonds are strengthened through shared experiences, trust, and love, creating stronger family ties.
Ready to make a difference in the life of a child in care?
Great! Let’s dive into the foster-to-adopt process in PA.
There are two different routes:
The process may look different depending on the organization you choose to partner with. Here’s what to expect in general:
To adopt from foster care, you’ll first need to become a foster parent.
Before you apply, here are the requirements you’ll need to meet:
Every state in the US, including Pennsylvania, requires foster parents to complete preservice sessions. This is to prepare you for the important role of caring for a child in need.
In Pennsylvania, foster parents must complete at least forty hours of preservice instruction.
These sessions aren't a one-time requirement. An additional 30 hours must be completed annually to ensure that foster parents stay informed and prepared to provide the best care possible.
After submitting your application, the next critical step is the home study. This is a comprehensive evaluation to confirm that your home environment is safe and suitable for a child. It is a mandatory assessment for all potential adoptive families, including those already serving as foster parents.
Components of the Home Study:
While this process may seem extensive, each step is crucial to guarantee that children are placed in loving, compatible homes. If you're already a foster parent, you might find this process familiar. This may give you an advantage in knowing what to expect.
This thorough approach ensures that children in Pennsylvania’s foster care system are placed in the best possible homes where they can thrive and feel secure.
Once you complete the home study, you may be approved to adopt!
If you’re not already fostering a child that you plan to adopt, the matching process will begin.
The time it takes from approval to the placement of a child can vary significantly between families. This timeline depends on various factors, including the specific needs and preferences of both the child and the adoptive family.
In Pennsylvania, prospective adoptive parents can attend adoption events. These events are designed to help families meet children in need of permanent homes. Additionally, Resource Workers can guide you to support groups where you can connect with others looking to adopt.
If a family finds a child they are interested in, or if an organization believes a family might be a good match, detailed information about the child will be shared with the prospective adoptive family. This allows the family and foster care organization to assess whether the match is a good fit.
If everyone agrees that the match is promising, visits will be scheduled for the family and child to meet. These visits help both parties get to know each other and ensure they are comfortable together.
After a series of successful visits, if all goes well, the family will sign a Placement Agreement to officially welcome the child into their home.
For children with special needs, a Resource Development Worker will assist the family in applying for Adoption Assistance. This support helps cover the additional costs associated with meeting the child’s needs.
Remember that if you choose to foster before adopting, the primary goal of foster care is reunification with biological family members whenever possible.
If the family of a child in your care is unable to look after their child again, you may be able to adopt them!
Get a sneak peek into the world of fostering through Letters Written with Love! This is a digital scrapbook of letters from foster parents to the children in their care.
Access your free copy now and experience the love, hope, and joy expressed by foster and adoptive parents who have been there.