What is Adoption?
Adoption is the method by which adults become legal parents of children not born to them.
Who are the children?
Children available for adoption come into permanent custody of
Children Services when a court determines that their birth parents cannot care for the
child's needs and will never be able to. These children may have been abused, neglected or
abandoned or have special needs.
Children needing families are:
African-American children of all ages
White children 6 years of age or older
Children with severe emotional or learning problems
Children who are a part of a large sibling
group (3 or more children)
Who Can Adopt?
Adopting parents can be married or single; homeowners or
non-homeowners; with or without children; or parents who work outside the home. You need
to be over the age of 21, and if you are married, you need to have been married for at
least one year.
Adopting parents are all kinds of people who have one thing in
common. They are adults who will give love and security to a child who needs a family.
Do I Need to Live in Montgomery County?
Families do not need to be Montgomery County residents to adopt children through Montgomery County Children Services. If a family would like us to do an adoption assessment on their home, we do ask that they:
Families who do not meet these criteria are encouraged to contact their local Children Services for adoption assessment services. Assessments completed by other agencies may then be submitted to Montgomery County Children Services for matching with our children needing adoptive families.
What is the Process?
Families contact Children Services when they decide they want
to share their lives with a child. We ask families to discover the strengths, abilities,
and skills they possess and are willing to share with a child who needs a home. The
family's role is to become increasingly self-aware as they determine what kind of child
would best fit into their lives. The Adoption Specialist will match the family with a
child based upon the information gathered during a home study.
An adoptive family will know a great deal about the child
before they ever meet; they also will know that they have chosen this child because they
have strengths and resources to offer.
The Children Services' Adoption Unit will be involved with the
families during and after the adoption process to help with any areas of concern that
arise. We do this in several ways:
1. We provide training to educate and prepare you for the adoption experience.
2. We can arrange meetings with other families who have adopted special needs children.
3. We can be available to talk with you on an individual basis.
4. We can refer you to other community resources.
5. We offer post-legal Adoption Services.
Foster/Adoption Approval
Families interested in both foster care and adoption may choose the option of a dual assessment process. Families will then be qualified to accept both foster care and adoptive placements. If you would like dual approval, notify the social worker assigned to conduct your assessment.
How Long Does It Take?
The adoption home study takes approximately 10 - 12 weeks. The
usual length of time for the entire adoption process takes 6 months to one year.
How Much Does It Cost?
Children Services imposes no fees for adoption services,
however, legal and court fees must be paid. The average cost of these fees is
$300.00.
Assistance may be available to help with legal fees when necessary.
Availability
The availability of healthy Caucasian infants and pre-schoolers
for adoption is
rare across the country and Montgomery County is no different. We are not currently conducting
adoption home studies for non-special
needs Caucasian children under the age of six.
For More Information
Call Montgomery County Children Services at (937) 224-KIDS extension 1647 to talk to an Adoption Specialist. We'll be glad to answer any questions, send you more information and/or invite you to the next information meeting for prospective adoptive parents.