What is a Foster Care Agency?

When people refer to a foster care agency in Nevada, they are referring to a state-run agency that facilitates temporary placements for children when their current living situations are unsafe or unstable. While the goal is temporary placement, in some cases children are unable to be reunified with their birth family. In those cases, foster care agencies also place children for adoption.

Fostering or adopting through foster care can be a positive solution for everyone involved, but, like all forms of adoption, it comes with unique challenges and considerations.

Below we will outline the major factors to consider if you are looking into fostering or adopting through foster care centers in Nevada, and how to get in contact with adoption professionals who can help you on your adoption or foster care journey.

If you are considering adoption you can also get free information with our online form.

What is the Difference between Fostering and Adopting?

When you are considering fostering or adopting, it’s important to go into these situations with knowledge of yourself, and your goals.

There are four main options you can consider when it comes to fostering or adopting through public adoption agencies in Nevada:

Fostering

The goal of foster care is to keep children in a safe and loving environment temporarily as birth families remedy any issues in their homes and get the help they need. Any child, from birth to age 18, can be placed in foster care, including sibling groups who are preferred to be placed together.

No matter what kind of fostering situation you are interested in, it is important to know that the ultimate goal of foster care is almost always to reunite parents and children, and most children in foster care (75%) are reunited with their birth family or emancipated rather than adopted.

If you sign up and get approved as a foster parent, you are signing up to provide temporary housing and care for a child or group of children. Foster care placements can be very short, or can last years.

As a foster parent, you always have the option to stop fostering, and you also have the ability to discuss what placements will work for you with a caseworker. Depending on your lifestyle you might decide to take children of a certain age, individuals or sibling groups, or specify a length of time that you are able to foster. You may also be able to receive financial help to care for children as long as they are in your home.

It is also important to note that many children placed in homes through a fostering agency in Nevada have experienced trauma or unstable home environments, and may need special care. Foster care agencies can help you connect with the resources you may need to care for children with these special needs.

Respite Fostering

While fostering is temporary, respite fostering is even more temporary. Families that sign up for respite fostering can take over foster care for short periods of time if foster families need a break. Some examples of when this might happen are if the foster family is travelling out of the state or country, or if they are ill or temporarily unable to care for children.

Fostering to Adopt

If you would like to adopt a child from foster care provider in Nevada permanently, one option is to choose foster-to-adopt. Fostering to adopt generally starts as a temporary placement, but with time, you may be able to choose to adopt a child who is placed with you.

Since foster care placements are unpredictable, you may have the opportunity to foster infants, children, or teens, sibling groups or individual children, and children with all kinds of interests, desires, personalities, and needs. This can be a wonderful new experience where children and parents learn together to become a family, but it can also be challenging.

The largest downside of fostering to adopt is that it can lead to disappointment, as most children in foster care are still reunited with their birth parents. A foster family may care for a child or group of children for months or years and build a connection hoping to adopt, only to return the child or children to their birth family.

Adopting Directly from Foster Care

If fostering to adopt is not the choice for you, you can also look for opportunities to adopt directly from foster care facilities in Nevada.

Direct adoptions from a foster agency in Nevada can take place when birth parent rights have been terminated or are near termination.

Adopting directly through foster care carries less risk of adoption disruption than fostering to adopt, and there are many children waiting to be adopted. However, the number of children in foster care greatly outnumbers the number of children who are ready to be placed in a direct adoption from foster care.

Direct adoption from foster care is a more commonly available option for sibling groups and older children, who tend to be less likely to find permanent homes.

Who Chooses Adoption through Foster Care Agencies in Nevada vs. Adoption through Private Agencies?

If you are considering fostering to adopt or adopting directly from foster care, you might also look into adoption through a private adoption agency.

While both forms of adoption can provide a loving home to a child and be a positive experience, each comes with its own benefits and challenges, so depending on your wants and needs, one option or the other may be better for you.

Here are some general trends in people who choose either foster care agencies or private agencies.

People who Choose Adoption through Foster Care Tend to:

• Be flexible about the number of children to be adopted

• Feel prepared for the unique challenges that may come from a child’s previous experiences

• Be comfortable with the idea of raising a child from an older age

• Have a limited budget for adoption

• Feel comfortable handling relationships with birth parents that are less predictable

People who Choose Adoption through a Private Agency Tend to:

• Highly value being involved with the experience of pregnancy and birth of a child

• Have a strong desire to bond with a child from birth or as soon as possible

• Have a more flexible budget for adoption

• Desire building a relationship with their child’s birth parents on terms that both parties agree to

• Want to be able to tell their child about their first moments and memories

Ultimately whether you choose fostering or adoption you can grow your family and make a better life for yourself and a child. If you would like to get started with fostering, you can view a list of resources here. If you are interested in private domestic adoption, you can get free information with our online form or call at 1-800-ADOPTION.

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