The facts about foster care adoption
Fact: The term “special needs” is somewhat misleading, because it can mean that the child is older, a minority, or requires placement with his/her siblings. While some children are dealing with physical or emotional concerns, just like other children, they need the nurturing and support that a permanent family can provide. Many foster children are in the “system” because their birth parents weren’t protective and nurturing caretakers - not because the children did anything wrong.
Myth: There’s too
much red tape and bureaucracy involved in adopting a child from foster
care.
Fact: Congress has streamlined the foster care
adoption process through enactment of the Adoption and Safe Families
Act of 1997. This law ensures that children in foster care, who cannot
be reunited with their birth parents, are freed for adoption and
placed with permanent families as quickly as possible.
Myth: There are
not enough loving families available who want to adopt a foster child.
Fact: Many prospective adoptive parents may initially
want to adopt an infant, often because they are unaware that there are
older children who also need families. When they learn about an older
child available for adoption, they often “fall in love” and realize
the enormous impact they can have on that child’s life. Older children
can share their feelings about joining a new family, helping to make
the adoption and transition process successful.
Four in 10 American adults have considered adoption, according to a
National Adoption Attitudes Survey funded by the Dave Thomas
Foundation for Adoption. That translates into 81.5 million Americans.
If only one out of 500 Americans adopted out of the foster care
system, these children would have homes.
Myth: Adoptive
parents must be a 2004 version of Ozzie and Harriet.
Fact: Prospective adoptive parents do not have to be
rich, married, own a home, or be of a certain race or age to become an
adoptive parent. (One-third of adoptions from foster care are by
single parents.) Patience, a good sense of humor, a love of children,
and the commitment to be a good parent are the most important
characteristics.
Myth: Adopting a
child from foster care is expensive.
Fact: Many prospective parents do not know that
adopting children from foster care is virtually free, while private or
international adoptions can cost anywhere from $4,000 to $30,000 or
more. A growing number of companies and government agencies offer
adoption assistance as part of their employee benefit packages,
including time off for maternity/paternity leave, financial incentives
and other benefits. In addition, Congress has made federal tax credits
available for foster care adoptions to help offset required fees,
court costs, legal and travel expenses. In June 2001, the President
signed a revised adoption tax credit, which took effect in January
2003, to increase the amount of the credit to $10,000 for all adoptive
families. Benefits such as these are enabling more families to adopt
foster children into their homes. More information is available in the
IRS Publication 968 “Tax Benefits for Adoption,” which can be obtained
by calling 1-800-829-3676 or visiting www.irs.ustreas.gov.
Myth: Families
don’t receive support after the adoption is finalized.
Fact: Financial assistance does not end with the
child’s placement or adoption. The vast majority of children adopted
from foster care are eligible for federal or state subsidies that help
offset both short- and long-term costs associated with post-adoption
adjustments. Such benefits (which vary by state) commonly include
monthly cash subsidies, medical assistance and social services. More
information about federal and state subsidy programs is available from
the National Adoption Assistance Training, Resource, and Information
Network helpline at 1-800-470-6665.
Myth: Children in
foster care have too much “baggage.”
Fact: This is perhaps the biggest myth of all. Foster
children - just like any children - have enormous potential to thrive
given love, patience, and a stable environment. Just ask U.S. Senator
Ben “Nighthorse” Campbell, Minnesota Viking Dante Culpepper,
Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, or Miss USA 2000 Lynette
Cole. They were all once foster children who were adopted by caring
adults.
Myth: It’s too
difficult to find information on how to adopt.
Fact: There are resources available to help potential
parents take the first step towards adopting out of foster care. For
more information, log on to
www.davethomasfoundationforadoption.org
