State Child Adoption Agencies: Are They Right for You?

When you begin to look at adoption agencies more closely, you find that they fall into two different categories: state agencies and private agencies. Whether you go with one or the other depends on things like the type of child you want to adopt. If you're looking for older kids or want to parent a child with special needs, you're more likely to make a connection through your state agency. If you want a healthy infant, your chances are better if you go through a private agency. Another factor, unfortunately may be your financial resources. Adoptions through the state are less expensive than adoptions through private agencies.

State agencies

State agencies are the agencies that your state government runs. Many of these offices are called things like the Division of Family and Children (in Indiana, for example) or the Department of Social and Health Services (in Washington state). These agencies, whatever they may be called in your state, offer many services to families in need. Finding homes for available children is just one of the services they provide.

Children available through state agencies are wards of the state, kids whom a state court has determined to be children in need of services (CHINS). Often, these children have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect. Sometimes, they were orphaned, or their parents are no longer able to care for them because of some catastrophic illness or event.

When you work through a state agency you'll find that the available kids are usually older, not infants. The reason for this is that state agencies try to reunite kids with their parents before making them available for adoption. And they can only be placed in an adoptive home after the state terminates the rights of the birthparents. The termination process can take years.

Finding suitable adoptive homes for these kids is harder, too. Often, the children who have been taken into custody are part of a sibling group, and the state makes every effort to place the kids together. In addition, the children have usually been abused or neglected and, as a result, may have behavioral issues to deal with, as well as attachment difficulties that stem from the abuse and from possibly being moved from foster home to foster home.

If you're Interested in adopting through your state agency, here are a couple of other things to keep in wind:

• The wait can be long because of the bureaucracy and because state agencies are often understaffed, and workers are overwhelmed. Don't be surprised if the process, from start to finish, takes a year, and keep in mind that some could happen faster and some much slower.

• In pursuing a state adoption, you generally contact the case manager, the person who handles a caseload of children in the system (in your state, this person's title may be something else), submit your home study, and wait. The more flexible you are as to what you will accept and the more children you express an interest in, the better your chances.

• You may be one of several families being considered for the same child. If so, the case manager (or sometimes a committee) will interview you and the others to determine what each family's strengths are and to see what each can offer the child. A you're selected as the final family, a meeting with the child is planned. After that first meeting, a visitation schedule is set up so that the child can be eased into your family.

• Most states charge little or nothing for adoption services. In fact, many states offer adoption subsidies after the adoption is finalized. These subsidies help offset the costs of raising a child who may have special needs due to abuse or neglect or having spent years in the system.

If you're interested in adopting a child through your state agency, contact your local Office of Family and Children. You can also head to the Internet:

Many state agencies now offer photos of waiting children and info about them on their Web sites. National resource exchange groups also circulate info and photos of waiting kids around all the states. In the search box, type in adoption and the name of your state to access a list of adoption resources. An alternative that can link you directly to adoption agencies and attorneys in your state and others is the Adoption.org Web site (www.adoption.org)