Right now, foster care is one of the most popular ways to build your family. Foster parents help provide the safe and loving environment any child needs to thrive. At this time, there are about 1,000 children in foster care in South Dakota. Most of the children currently in South Dakota’s foster care adoption photolisting are over 10 years of age and/or part of a sibling group.

While American Adoptions specializes in the placement of newborn children, we think that foster care is a great family-building option. Here, learn more about foster care adoption in South Dakota to determine what is best for your family.

Requirements to Become a Foster Parent in South Dakota

Just like a domestic adoption, there are a few requirements that you will have to meet in order to become an eligible foster parent. In order to adopt a foster child in South Dakota, you must:

• Be at least 21 years old

• Attend 30 hours of training

• Pass a home study

• Provide a safe and loving home for a child

• Participate in in-home visits

For more information on the requirements for foster care, you can contact your local DSS agency.

Do I Need to Complete a Home Study to Become a Foster Parent?

Like any adoption, a home study is an essential part of the South Dakota foster care adoption process. Generally, you will need to have the following to complete your home study:

• In-home visits

• In-home inspection

• Medical history

• Financial statements

Before you start gathering the necessary documents, you should speak with a licensed home study agency in South Dakota. They will be able to tell you which documents are necessary for a foster child adoption in South Dakota. 

Is there Just One Type of Foster Care Adoption in SD?

There are three ways to become a foster parent or adopt a child through the foster care system in South Dakota:

1. Foster to Adopt in South Dakota — Unlike a domestic adoption, the main goal in foster care is reunification with the biological parents. If the parental rights have been terminated and there is no chance of reunification, then a child can be adopted through the foster care system. When a family fosters to adopt in South Dakota, they become foster parents with the hope of adopting their foster child if he or she becomes legally available for adoption. However, this can be an emotionally risky path, as 75 percent of foster children are eventually reunited with biological family.

2. Adopting through Foster Care in South Dakota — Another option is adopting a child through the state foster care system without becoming a foster parent first. This way, you can request to only be matched to children that are eligible for foster adoption in South Dakota.

3. Foster Parenting — Foster parents provide a temporary home for a foster child until they are able to reunite with their biological family or until a permanent home has been found.

Many of the children available to adopt through foster care in South Dakota have experienced trauma and neglect in their life. Before you commit, plan to do as much research as possible to make sure that foster care is the right fit for your family. Foster to adopt forums and foster adoption blogs are a great way to start delving into the life of a foster care parent.

South Dakota Adoption Subsidy

The amount of financial assistance that you receive as a foster parent through state-funded adoption subsidies is primarily determined by the needs of the child. This can include:

• Children within a certain age group, race or religion.

• A sibling group that needs to be placed together.

• Children with a disability.

You may have some questions about what the South Dakota adoption subsidy entails. Below are some answers according to the South Dakota DSS website.

• What is the SD adoption subsidy payment schedule? Your subsidy will be received upon being placed with a foster care child.

• How long can I receive an adoption subsidy in South Dakota?  Your subsidy can continue until the child is 18 years old. You may also receive adoption subsidy if the individual is living at home and attending high school.

• Are the monthly payments made directly to the parents? The monthly check will be paid directly to the adoptive parents.

You can contact your local DSS agency for more questions about adoption subsidies in South Dakota.

South Dakota Foster Care Agencies

If you believe that you’re ready to pursue an adoption through foster care in South Dakota, you can start by contacting one of the following foster care professionals. The foster care agency that you choose will be able to provide you with the tools, resources, and education you need for a foster child adoption in SD.

• Children’s Home Society

• Bethany in Eastern South Dakota

• Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota  

If you would like more information on the process to become a foster parent in South Dakota, please contact one of the agencies listed above. If you are still debating between foster care and private infant adoption in South Dakota, feel free to request free information from our agency at any time to learn more about your options.

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.