How to Adopt a Waiting Child from Foster Care: 10 Steps to Take

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#fostercareawarenessmonth #fostercareawareness #fostercareadoption
Happy Foster Care Awareness Month! This month, I will be sharing information about Foster Care adoption because I think it is a very overlooked type of adoption, but there is a huge need. Subscribe so you don't miss out on any of the upcoming series!
Adopting from foster care can seem really intimidating at first. Many people assume that you have to foster and say goodbye to quite a few kids before you would ever have the chance to adopt. However, there is more than one way to adopt from foster care! Did you know there are over 100,000 waiting children in foster care? That means they are waiting to be adopted by a forever family. So many people are unaware that this is one of the paths available for those considering adoption. Could this be the right choice for growing your family?
What other adoption topics would you like videos on? Tell me in the comments! :)
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--- Comment Policy ---
This channel is a space to encourage and uplift one another. We may have differing views, but we can still get along and be kind. That being said, any hurtful, mean, offensive, or malicious comments will be deleted.
Thanks so much for watching!
-Katie

[@adoptinformed]

Want more adoption help? Schedule a consultation with me! ✨ www.adoptinformed.com/consultation

[@chelsiawoolwine1047]

We did not want children 6 years ago. We have been talking about kids lately but I am 35 now and just don't think I want to risk having a "geriatric pregnancy". All of my brothers and sisters were given up for adoption and I see how much they love their families. The more I read and watch about adoption the more I think this is the right route for us to take in the near future.

[@Chassymusic]

You are more than fine to have a baby .. 35 is young . I had my daughter at 40 , she's perfectly healthy .. Google getting pregnant at 35 age .. there are women still having babies in mid and late 40s

[@danielleg1504]

I feel it’s a wise choice. I had my only biological child in my early 30s and, by chance, he was not born healthy. It was a difficult pregnancy, and recovery accordingly. I’m not telling you that to scare you off… it’s just one story. But, I’m saying your hesitation is not entirely unfounded

[@thepinkestpigglet7529]

Don't go into adoption with the expectation the kids are going to love you. Just a word of caution. It's great it worked out for your siblings but don't expect that to always be the case.

[@srae7658]

​@@thepinkestpigglet7529that is also the same for biological children too

[@janvaltr71]

27 years ago my ex wife and I foster adopted our son. He is now 28 and a father himself. It was the hardest experience of my life, but the most rewarding. Now I am remarried and approaching 60 . My wife and I want to adopt sibling groups. We love kids, we are both retired teachers , we are open to any race, and will consider disabled. Our lives seem incomplete and we want more children to help and who can complete our lives.

[@lovebug8482]

Did you ever adopt??

[@Star-vg7ix]

I checked some international adoption groups and they have a cut off age of 55. This is why so many kids do not get adopted. Single men also get hassled when they try to adopt too.

[@firdosvohra4315]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@yelenamirko850]

This was one of the most straight forward and helpful adoption through foster care videos I’ve seen. Thank you

[@adoptinformed]

You are welcome! I tried to make the video I would have liked to see before we began this process :)

[@AuNaturale2012]

I really want a child between 10-13. I have a nephew who’s an only child I think it would be cool for him to have some close cousins and I really had an amazing childhood and hope to pass that on to other children who haven’t been as fortunate. 2021 is my year!!! God willing!

[@adoptinformed]

I love when I hear of people who have a heart specifically for adopting older kids...it's such a big need and it can be a wonderful way to grow your family! So excited for you and praying that you will get the perfect match!

[@mrvoyage6651]

Hi there I'm 14 year old child from Bangladesh . I am in a trouble for last 2 years. My parents are separated. I used to live in a car garrage . i badly need a family. Plaese adopt me.My grandparents have no Proper room to live me in their house.. They have only 2500£ saving. And they told me if anyone take me by adoption they give that money.Can you please tell me if their any family who wanted to adopt child internationally?

[@mrvoyage6651]

Hi there I'm 14 year old child from Bangladesh . I am in a trouble for last 2 years. My parents are separated. I used to live in a car garrage . i badly need a family. Plaese adopt me.My grandparents have no Proper room to live me in their house.. They have only 2500£ saving. And they told me if anyone take me by adoption they give that money.Can you please tell me if their any family who wanted to adopt child internationally?

[@cristinafaley4051]

I want a girl from 4-5

[@leagarner3675]

Cousins fight in my experience. They're family but not friends, so it's safe to argue without the fallout. But yeah, kids get more and more interesting as they grow. Good luck and great family!

[@MousyLeigh]

Glad you made this video. There aren’t enough like this for resources for foster/adopt parents. I just made another adoption video I’ll post this week. Congrats on your daughter. She’s adorable.

[@adoptinformed]

Thanks so much!!

[@abesky5229]

Please @Mousy and La Casa de Katie, write articles about this on MEDIUM.com. There are a lot of people who read there and it may be awesome to create some awareness there.

[@beokaybear]

Agree 💯 %

[@muddypawsfarm8790]

I agree, not enough recourse videos! We are just starting the process, and eventhough i love to watch those sappy, happy adoption day videos....information and guidance is more important at this point. Great video!👍

[@adoptinformed]

Thanks! I love the sappy videos too... it wasn't uncommon for my husband to find me weeping in front of the computer watching a sappy adoption video when we were just getting started in the process 😂 but, yes, education is super important!

[@fiestadancers]

Very informative. I didn’t realize fostering’s goal was unification with birth parents.

[@coolc8017]

Yes it always is!!!

[@soaringspirits2267]

I mean, some is. Defo. Some isn't. Diff types!!

[@rosemarycarter2415]

You are very encouraging and this is very helpful-thank you!!

[@hamandeville]

I loved this! I found all the information really helpful. Thank you for taking the time to do make the video.

[@reverendkiki5132]

Thank you for your videos! I am going through the process and learning so much from you.

[@TheTypewriterError]

Thank you so much for this. My husband and I have decided we want to plan to adopt a waiting child so it helps to know we can adopt a waiting child directly instead of providing a temporary safe place.

[@missydanced2]

Thank you for making such a great and informed video! My husband and I are going to be starting the process to get into the foster system. We are soon going to be attending/watching & listening to informational meetings from our local foster agencies. We will be doing foster to adopt and totally fine loving on every kiddo that comes into our house no matter how long they are with us. I want to be a safe place for kiddos until we can adopt ourselves. We will be doing ages 5 - 11 or 12 and want to hopefully help out sibling pairs!

[@sylviegamboa106]

Thank you for this information your pod cast is exactly what we were looking for 🌷 Hard to find information for waiting children thanks so much.

[@charrityconrad5531]

Thank you so much for this video! We are also from Ohio and we are just starting out the process, and this is so informative. I have had such a hard time finding videos that are informative and from our home state.

[@lyanimoody6554]

Thank you so much for being transparent and upfront with the ins and outs my husband and I were thinking about adoption, someone mentioned fostering and we had no clue how to go about either process let alone what it all truly means and you just informed us so greatly on what that looks like. we thank you so much God bless you and your family 🙏🏼

[@gleenobly]

Thank you, Katie. This is the best video I have found so far about this specific type of adoption journey. I appreciate the information!

[@sherryboyd3480]

Thank you for so much excellent information!

[@shiannstilley6427]

This is by far the best video I have seen on KZbin so far about adoption!!

[@brittanychrissy]

I love this video. You have put my mind at ease.

[@angelakleman9519]

Thank you for making this. My husband and I are planning to adopt an older child from foster care. ❤

[@chibistk]

Thank you for making this video! It was very helpful and incredibly insightful.

[@eversimplifying]

Thank you so much for this video. It speaks directly to some of our hopes and fears as we now make our way through the licensing process in CA. We didn’t even know we about “waiting” as a designation or that we could emphasize adoptive placements as a priority with our agency (in our case the agency is the public/government option). Thank you again. I’m a teacher as well, so it was comforting to hear that bit as well.

[@DrTimWhatleyDDS]

Very informative and helpful. Thank you.

[@StephanieGrace19]

This has helped so much! Thank you!! My husband and I were taking to someone with an agency and they kept telling us things that i found super confusing. You laid all the information out there in an easily digestible way and it is very much appreciated!

[@catherinemcnicoll119]

Thank you for your content it’s very helpful.

[@vickiehenley5148]

Thank you for sharing! We have a child we adopted through foster care. Information is much needed.

[@JustinaP84]

Thank you for this video!

[@Gandesh_Bahaji]

Cute video. I'm so happy for you. I'm starting the process to adopt. I already raised four and I miss being a parent. Having a child is one of the best things in the world. I love the smiles and laughs. Thanks for the video. Best wishes.

[@billpiccolo4245]

Awesome video I just finished my home study and FACES. This is a journey Thank you!

[@ZachandAllison]

Thanks for this video! My husband and are are wanting to adopt teenagers. looking to start the process in a year or so. There is so much to learn!

[@KJPadgett]

This is a great video! So informative! Thank you!

[@meiamcmillian]

Thank you for sharing!

[@SarahKTomko]

CASA means Court Appointed Special Advocate for children in abuse and neglect cases. 🤗💛. Thank you for creating this content!

[@crystaltorres5709]

I can’t thank you enough for how refreshing your video is. You make adoption and fostering sound like a less daunting process, there are so many videos that don’t do a very good job of balancing the scary stuff, good stuff, and everything in between. You give me hope!

[@adoptinformed]

There are definitely some really hard situations and moments with adoption or foster care, but I also have had some really encouraging moments ❤️ if you are interested, I have a whole series in my adoption playlist about the ups and downs of this past year adopting our two older kids. I try to share very openly about the highs and lows 😊

[@sweatpants4life371]

Thank you so much for sharing all of your knowledge! I just started my channel the other day to help me document my foster to adopt journey. There's still so much I need to learn, but your video was so extremely helpful! Thank you again! Many blessings to you and your family!

[@adoptinformed]

You are so welcome! :)

[@marilingriffy2142]

Katie thank you. This was helpful. I hope we can find our forever baby boy.

[@jakila100]

I AM interested in adopting but I want to be a foster mom first, your information was very helpful thank you, and thank you & your husband for being loving humans beings♥️

[@theKushkween420]

Our plan was always to have 2 of our own and adopting 2 but since finding out IVF would be our only option to conceive we’re going with adopting. His sister was adopted through foster care so we’re familiar with some of the process but this gives us hope that’s it’s something we can do.

[@vickiyross]

great video and great info thank you

[@faithfulprepper]

Thank you for this helpful video! I've always had adoption in my heart and have felt it strongly recently so I am trying to do all the research I can on it. My husband and I took the informative foster care class last night. Lots of great information you've shared.

[@adoptinformed]

So exciting! Thanks for watching 😊 hope you subscribe because I cover lots of adoption and foster care topics!

[@sabrinatenney]

Thanks! Great video.

[@DrAmirahKweliCrystalRckGoddess]

whew!!! this is a video i needed. i am still tryna find and hear by from 3 interests from other states.

[@krystalg.w.5359]

Thank you for this video, my husband and I are just starting the process. We know God’s plan is perfect and praying as we begin this journey.

[@ashliewolfe1849]

Hi Katie! I loved this video. My husband and I have always had a tug on our heart to adopt a waiting child. This was super helpful!

[@adoptinformed]

I'm so glad this helped you! :)

[@jessicagreen9636]

This is SO helpful

[@randibarton335]

My husband and I just went through our home study for fostering to adopt this past Saturday. Your video described it perfectly! Thank you for sharing your experience for others who are starting to explore the fostering journey. 💖

[@christiannepogie5937]

Are you still waiting? If not, how long did it take you to even get a call for placement? Thanks

[@kaysmith6810]

Thankyou for this im doing this

[@frankiejaimes1]

Just learned I have a new born nephew in foster care. I’m doing my research on how to approach the adoption correctly.

[@StorminNormin411]

This video gets me so excited to adopt.

[@thomas47035]

Thank you!

[@blackwhite1406]

THANK YOU!!! 💞

[@emilynevarez3151]

Thanks 🙏🏾

[@river648]

My aunt and uncle were so lucky because they got 2 newborns straight from the hospital a week apart and now have adopted 3 y/o Huxley and addisyn

[@tracym707]

💕😀Thank you for sharing this information.

[@adoptinformed]

You are so welcome! Thanks for watching :)

[@rosiejsue2910]

Thank you so much for this. You're so sweet. Greetings from Ohio!

[@aprylsconch4975]

Today I decided to explore adoption, God Bless you for your encouraging words!

[@adoptinformed]

Thank you so much! I love when I hear that others are exploring the idea of adopting :)

[@kittysnowballsims7939]

Very Helpful video :) Thank you !!

[@adoptinformed]

So glad it helped you!

[@danutajaneczek1467]

thank you so much.

[@katdenning6535]

I’m in Step 1.5: Lots of research and looking into the different agencies in my area. I’m in Michigan and reached out to MARE first who gave me a list of agencies in my county and suggested we do orientation with 2-3 to find the best fit.

[@wrenhernandez9032]

Hi, love these videos! My husband and I were just matched with a child for adoption and it feels so surreal!! We are so excited, and I love to see yalls great experience, it is very informational! When did y'all announce to everyone that y'all were matched? We were selected last week and we have yet to share the news.

[@adoptinformed]

That is so exciting!!! Congrats 😊

[@ariellagarza5741]

We are in the waiting for placement stage 😬!! Loved your video and I really appreciated your insight about why you were chosen for your daughter but not for the other kids.

[@christiannepogie5937]

Are you still waiting? If not, how long did it take you to even get a call for placement? Thanks

[@luisromo5251]

How long the process

[@amandaw5326]

Thank you so much for your videos. We are recently licensed for foster to adopt and just made our first inquiry

[@adoptinformed]

Congratulations! 😊

[@camilleguimond9786]

Thank you for this video! It was really informative and engaging 🙂 can you discuss the fees for adopting a waiting child? Is there a cost difference between going through an agency versus through the county? Thank you very much!

[@patriciacallen9653]

I am having an interview later today with CYFD. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge.

[@s.n.2744]

Hi!! Congratulations on the interview. I’m hoping to go through a similar process within the coming years. How did the interview go???

[@Melina-hq3rj]

How did it go??

[@patriciacallen9653]

@@Melina-hq3rj it was different. Because of Covid there was a confrence phone call. I have a few things to do to get my house ready, not cheap things... I need some new Windows put in the house. So I have a few things to take care of so we are all safe

[@Melina-hq3rj]

@@patriciacallen9653 well I'm glad you're taking the time to do all those things. I know you're going to make a great parent to whomever you bring into your home :)

[@patriciacallen9653]

@@Melina-hq3rj thank you. I Pray daily for everything to align its self so I can move forward.

[@nyecore]

We are in the process of adopting a child right now from foster care and we are so excited

[@adoptinformed]

Congratulations! That is an exciting step! :)

[@nyecore]

@@adoptinformed thank you

[@madimccown383]

My husband and I have just started the process of adoption through foster care. My agency say they do that and I just need to make sure my case worker is aware that we want placement with kids looking for a permanent home, but I am so worried that everything will seem ok and they will say our placement is an adoptive one and then some how something will go wrong and we wont be able to adopt them. I have bio kids and I don’t want to break their hearts and my own. I am so grateful to have this video to reassure me that adoption through foster care is different than fostering and it is a real thing and people do this.

[@adoptinformed]

From what our agency told us, it is very uncommon that an adoptive placement would be disrupted unless the adoptive family decided they no longer wanted to adopt the children (which hopefully that wouldn't happen!). The only way it's really possible is if you accept a "legal risk" adoptive placement. Our two older kids are a legal risk adoptive placement and they've been with us for a year and we still don't know when their adoption will take place. Usually, it's just 6 months of them living in the adoptive home before their adoptions can be finalized.

[@jenmks]

Thank you for this video. Would you mind sharing the Agency you went through?

[@tammielittle4707]

We are in waiting to foster to adopt a child or sibling group. We have 2 older daughters who are now in college and one son who is 10. It would a great experience for him and all of us

[@luciamatos5815]

Thank you sooo much.. your video was really helpful.. I want to have 2 children... maybe a twins and be a mommy soon 🙏🙏❤❤❤

[@TheRoshaunda]

I’m 25 and I’m preparing myself for the process I will start in two years.

[@kristapacker1549]

We can have our supervised period shorted to 3 months but our kids are a legal risk adoption and they have been with us for almost 2 yrs already (as foster kids so their cw and their casa have been over once a month each). Also, I don’t remember that CASA stands for but in my state CASA’s are the child’s guardian at litem. Her solo purpose is to advocate for the child and what is best for them. Because they are not state employees, they don’t care what the cw or foster parents wants and needs are, just what is best for the child.

[@Notsosamurai1]

My wife and I fostered a child that a family friend was a foster parent and godmother to. She was having health issues and the burth mother wasn't even trying at that point. She just didn't care for the first two years if the childs life. We took her in and had her for over a year. In the last four months the mother started trying and they gave her everything, her rent, bills, food, bus pass, and paid to have her house cleaned. We wnt from no visits to unsupervised overnight visits within the course af a couple months. Even though the birth mother still couldn't take care of herself, on one unsupervised visit we find out from the mother instead of children services we wont be picking the little girl back up and we will bever see her again. This was the worst experience for my wife and I. We love that little girl and just want whats best for her. We are from Northwest Ohio by the way. Dealing with children services is the worst part about the whole process.

[@rachelballard9443]

Thank you!!! Very helpful. Taking classes now. Did you ever find it challenging if your family was asked to take on a child or sibling group you did not feel equipped to care for?

[@adoptinformed]

Oh, for sure. Sometimes you hear people say that they think you should say yes to any child...but I actually think that taking on a child you know you aren't equipped to care for adequately is unfair to the child and is a recipe for a potential disrupted adoption. It was definitely heartbreaking saying no and constantly reading case files of kids who have been through so much. Maybe I'll make a video about that sometime!

[@SelenaY.1331]

As someone that was in foster care I think (it depends on the person of course) it's helpful to be a foster parent then adopt a child that you fostered. It gives the child time to get to know the family. At the same time there's younger children (or babies) that are easier to take full custody (as in adoption) because you can "watch them grow". Other cases 10-12 year olds (or teenagers) that might not want to be in a stable/loving foster home because they are used to unstableness so they would rather continue to be in a placement that they see as normal & won't move around again. Many people don't learn to understand this

[@adoptinformed]

Yes, that is another route to go, for sure! In both of our adoption situations, our kids were with women in their 70s/80s who loved them to death but didn’t want to adopt them because they felt they were too old and wouldn’t be able to be there for them long term. So that’s why they became “waiting children.” Our oldest is 11 and she definitely wants to be adopted, but I know that’s not always the case! I think if adoption is what has to happen, having the current foster parents adopt is a great option because the bonds are already there. But there are a lot of kids (over 100,000 any given day) whose foster parents are not able/willing to adopt their foster kids. That’s where this type of adoption is needed ❤️

[@adeljomaro7519]

Thank you❣️, I want more information about adoption in your country

[@alynnl648]

I’m with advantage family outreach hope that helps .

[@adoptinformed]

So sorry I didn't see this! I haven't heard of that agency, but I really don't know about every agency. We chose between 3 in our area, and ultimately went with ACTION adoptions, which is part of National Youth Advocacy Program. I would definitely just research your agency, and research other agencies to compare them. It also helps if you can find other adoptive families you know and see what agency they used. Hope that helps!

[@Aikynbreusov]

Hey, can you make a video on what prospect adoptive parents can do to increase their chance of getting accepted to adopt a kid or be a better match to the kid????? Thanks....

[@leiz.6103]

Hi Katie, can you make a video about GETTING A FOSTER TO ADOPT LICENSE: Private Agency vs State? If we want to adopt a waiting child, do we have to go with a private agency? Can you also share some resources about private agencies and how to pick one? Thank you so much. Looking forward to your updates!

[@adoptinformed]

I will put these on my list! :) the only thing is but I'm not sure if it is different in each state. I will have to research that.

[@visi7891]

@@serenepeacefulrelaxingmusi3874 lol Lazy?

[@GregoryRCosta]

I've been browsing Adopt Us Kids, and I'm curious if Interstate Adoption is as difficult as I hear...it seems like there are a lot of hurdles and many adoptions fall through...kind of disheartening.

[@lovebug8482]

Did you ever adopt out of state?the children legally free from MY state have severe behaviors or are medically fragile or are late teens...it has been difficult for me thus far

[@kristind394]

Thank you so much! It was so hard to find a video about adoption from foster care without fostering other children. This was perfect. On to checkout your other videos! I do have a question: My state allows us to pick an agency or just go with the state. Is there pros to picking an agency? Will it make the process longer if I pick an agency?

[@adoptinformed]

Actually usually going with an agency is easier/faster! We did use an agency and we were really happy with it. It usually just means you have to pay more instead of it being free/cheap.

[@kristind394]

La Casa de Katie thanks so much! I will look into agencies! I know of a friend who used an agency and is still using them because of the situation, but she has had a lot of issues so I was nervous. But like you said, looking up reviews would help :)

[@rhess10]

Hi. Great video. Thank you for your information. I was curious if these social workers who come to visit during the six month foster period come by drop by or do they make an appointment? Thanks!

[@adoptinformed]

For us it was always planned ahead of time!

[@leiz.6103]

Katie, thank you for these videos. They are very helpful! My struggle is this. We are Asian. If we chose to adopt whether domestically or from foster care, even if we are open to other races, our chances of getting “picked” over other Caucasian families would be low. And there aren’t many Asian waiting kids as far as I know. So I don’t know if we would ever get matched:(

[@adoptinformed]

Oh, but they actually are not allowed to make the decision based on race unless it is a very specific situation (think American Indian tribes) It doesn't matter what race you are :) you should go for it! There are so many kids waiting for a good home, and that is going to be the least of their concerns. We are white and were placed with biracial kids...its no different to me than if you were Asian placed with black or white kids because it's all transracial adoption and it's very common!

[@sabrinastratton1991]

I’m biracial and people kept passing my twin and I over based on that as one of the reasons. Please don’t just think about the race of the child. My adoptive parents are Scottish-American.

[@suzyterry7820]

There are kids of all races that are placed for adoption. I don't think that will make a difference when the match is right. If you are hoping for a domestic infant adoption your diversity may even be something that stands out to a birth mom looking at your profile. ❤ My husband is Asian and we were placed without an issue through domestic adoption. My husbands parents loved showing off their new grandbaby in Hong Kong when we went to visit.

[@jessicascillieri5310]

What time of agency would I be looking into to start the process? Do regular adoption agencies facilitate adoptions through foster care?

[@EshaNicoleTV]

This is very helpful. I've been thinking about doing this. I have a dual license but I would love to adopt. I also live in Ohio and I would love to know how to go about finding an agency here?

[@adoptinformed]

We went with NYAP (Action Adoptions), and had a great experience (now on round 2!). But you can search "foster care adoption agencies in Ohio" and look from there. I would ask adoptive families you know for recommendations as well.

[@madsenmusic2922]

What other books do you recommend? My husband and I want to adopt teenagers from foster care, we want a multi racial family but I’m having trouble finding resources to help educate us before we start. Thanks!

[@shecamt]

This was excellent and on point. Thank for making this video. My husband and I moved to Georgia and decided to adopt from foster care. Our case was submitted to the state a little over 3 weeks ago. The day after our information was submitted we were presented with a couple of siblings groups that didn't work well with us so we had to say no. My husband and I felt bad but we needed to do what was best. Now we are waiting for the agency to let us know about our kids and it feels like it's taking forever. The agency did ask us about fostering a waiting child but we were torn about that process. We didn't want to do it and have the children taken away. I may have to revisit that idea.

[@adoptinformed]

I think there is so much wisdom in not being willing to accept every single case that comes your way. The last thing you would want is to say yes to a kid and then end up disrupting the adoption later because you realize it's not a situation you are equipped to handle. When you say you are thinking about fostering a waiting child, do you mean taking on a legal risk adoption case? We are now in the process of adopting two more kids and they are a legal risk placement. I'm considering making a video about that soon!

[@shecamt]

@@adoptinformed yes, I'm referring to legal risk adoption. Sorry, I had to look back to see when this video was made. That's awesome that you are adopting more kids! My husband and I don't have kids. When we bought our house last year we wanted a big house to fill with children so we bought a 4300sq ft house. We originally said we would take a sibling group of up to 5 or 6. Once the case study got underway we panicked and thought going from zero to 6 may not be the best idea we've ever had. Lol. We've decided on 2 with a strong consideration for a 3rd child. I'm very excited but also extremely nervous about taking on this responsibility of being a parent.

[@adoptinformed]

Wow that's great!! We didn't have any kids before we adopted as well. I think starting with one or two kids would definitely be a good idea, but I would never discourage anyone from adopting a large sibling group if that is what they feel called and equipped to do! So excited for you to start on this journey! 😊

[@s.n.2744]

Thank you so much for this video!! So, would you say that it’s difficult to find a waiting child around 4 yrs. old, or are waiting children usually much older ? Thanks !!!

[@adoptinformed]

You are welcome! Yes, I would say that adopting a waiting child 4 or under is less likely unless they are part of a sibling pair/group or have more special needs. However, it is possible! Our daughter was around 18 months when she came to our home. I would ask agencies in your area if they do waiting child adoptions often and see what they say about ages :)

[@jennifermunoz9526]

Do you have any advice or videos related to adopting a waiting child if you already have a biological child? Thank you for this video. It was so helpful as I go about researching fostering and adopting through the foster care system.

[@adoptinformed]

I do not have any videos on this because that wasn’t our experience, but I might interview someone who has walked through this :)

[@saramoulson7808]

This video was super helpful. We've been praying about this for awhile now. Can I ask, what did it cost for your daughter's adoption?

[@adoptinformed]

For us it cost about $5,000. But some of that is reimbursed from your trainings. And you get an adoption tax credit once you have adopted so you can kind of pay yourself back, if that makes sense. It depends on what state you are in and what agency you use. Sometimes it’s free!

[@saramoulson7808]

@@adoptinformed wow! Thanks. That's way cheaper than I expected.

[@lovebug8482]

And yes we never realized that foster to adopt would be so difficult.

[@christinaguillen6616]

Hi! What are the costs like and stipends for waiting to adopt?

[@the_oNE87]

Hello Katie. Wanted to ask a quick question. My wife and I live in TN. When wanting to adopt a child in waiting does that go through an adoption agency or Dept of Child Services?

[@stardog9358]

My family wants to adopt this way, but whenever we look up the average cost it comes up with foster to adopt so I was wondering if it is the same price? thank you 😊

[@ashuderrick5669]

Nice

[@kristencozart1453]

What Agency did you use Katie? I'm in Ohio too and we are just starting to research adoption. Thanks for your help!

[@adoptinformed]

If you email me at [e-mail] I can tell you about the agency we use! Or DM me on Instagram :)

[@kristapacker1549]

And not all state’s require fire/tornado plans.

[@biglittle992003]

Thank you so much for your video, I really appreciated it. I'm wondering if I could pick your brain a little. I recently/finally got approved for my adoption license this past week. One of the things that cemented my feelings of pursuing adoption was because I found a sibling group I am interested in who is in the state next to me. They are two boys ages 10 and 11 who are on the Mare website photo listing. I am so conflicted because I have heard people say to leave the matching to the agency (I am with DCF). They have also said to take in a foster kid and just take the time to set routines and get to know them before going as far as to adopt them especially since they are out of state. I am interested in your opinion about this as well as I am curious how I should go about starting this conversation with my DCF worker. Thank you so much for your time.

[@adoptinformed]

The social workers in our agency were very open to us asking them to submit our home study on kids in listings we found...I would just email or call your worker and ask her about that possibility. I will say that we fell in love with a LOT of kids in photo listings at the beginning and we were not matched with them even when we did submit our home study. It's very rare to be matched with the first kid you fall in love with, but still worth asking! Hope that helps 😊

[@biglittle992003]

@@adoptinformed You're awesome! Thank you so much for your encouragement.

[@jessisjourney9915]

When fostering, do they pay for the home study? Can the same study be used for a private adopt?

[@katdenning6535]

Question: Do older children get a say in who adopts them? I would prefer if a prospective child feels like they have input on their placement with my family.