While American Adoptions only works to complete private domestic adoptions, we’re passionate about making sure you get the information you need regardless of which type of adoption in Callfornia you pursue.

To get more information about the type of adoption available to you, contact an adoption specialist today.

While we don't have the tools to facilitate a foster care adoption, we can make sure you get connected with the resources you need to grow your family.

To that end, we’ve compiled some information to help you in your research about foster care adoption in California.

How do you complete a foster care adoption in California?

The steps for foster adoption in California are much like the steps you would take in the rest of the country:

Step 1: Determine whether you’re interested in foster parenting or adopting from the foster system. Foster parenting is providing a temporary home for a child until he or she can rejoin their biological parents, while adopting from the foster care system is adopting a child whose parents have already had their rights terminated.

Step 2: If you’re interested in adoption from foster care, you’ll need to contact a foster agency in your county. Because California is such a large state, it works with different counties to meet all the foster care system’s needs.

Step 3: Complete parenting classes. Depending on the agency you work with, you’ll take either PS-MAPP (Permanence and Safety-Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting) or PRIDE (Parent Resources for Information Development and Education) classes.

Step 4: Complete an application that provides information about you, your home, and why you wish to adopt from the foster care system. In this application, you’ll also indicate what you’re open to in terms of an adoption situation, such as the age range of children you’re willing to adopt.

Step 5: Complete a home study. This process is exactly like it would be for a private adoption home study.

Step 6: Once your home study is over, it’s time to wait for placement. Depending on what you’re open to, this may happen quickly or it may take a few months. When a child is placed with you, you’ll undergo a finalization hearing, just as you would with a private adoption.

Who can adopt a foster child in California?

Adopting from foster care has the same requirements as adopting an infant in a private adoption. The adoptive parent must be 10 years older than the child he or she hopes to adopt, and a home study must show that prospective parents can provide a safe, loving and well-equipped home for a child.

How much does adopting from foster care in California cost?

When adopting from foster care, you can expect to pay for adoption-related costs such as medical examinations, court filing or safety classes. These costs usually do not exceed $300 and may be reimbursable when an adoption is completed. It is also possible that some public adoption agencies may charge you up to $50 in fees, although this may be reduced or waived. Some agencies do not require the fee at all.

Foster Children for Adoption in California

Where you live in California may depend on which foster care adoption photolisting you prefer to research. However, to get you started, we’ve selected a few sites that feature foster children for adoption in California:

• California Kids Connection

• AdoptUSKids

Adopting from foster care can be an amazing way to grow your family. For more information about foster care adoption in California, contact the Department of Social Services in your county. 

Disclaimer
Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.