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January 2013 In This Issue Director's Letter: Special New Year's Edition of HCJFS Update Helps You do Business with Us Did you know? The best way to apply for public assistance Did you know? Use SuperJobs.com to aid your job search Did you know? Who to call with questions about child care Did you know? Hamilton County children are waiting for adoption Did you know? Top things you need to know about child support Adopt Brothers Joe and Keuntay
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Did you know? Approximately 190 Hamilton County children are waiting for adoption
In November, HCJFS caseworkers celebrated as 13 children were adopted by seven loving families in a mass adoption ceremony. Those 13 were just a small portion of the children adopted by loving, devoted forever families this year. Despite these successes, many children remain in HCJFS custody. We at HCJFS strive to ensure each and every child has a family to love them forever. While the attention on children in foster care continues to increase both locally and nationally, many in the public have unanswered questions about the foster care system. In this special edition of HCJFS Update, we want to answer some of the most common questions about foster care adoption and share information from AdoptUSKids.org about common adoption myths. Myth: It’s easier and faster to adopt internationally than from U.S. foster care Reality*: In 2011, there were 51,000 children adopted through U.S. foster care, while only 9,320 children were adopted by U.S. citizens from all international sources combined. New regulations governing international adoptions have made adoption from other countries more challenging for U.S. citizens. These regulations, which can be found on the U.S. Department of State’s Intercountry Adoption website, are aimed at protecting the rights of children and birth parents. When coupled with more aggressive efforts to locate adoptive resources inside of countries that have traditionally permitted their children to be sent abroad, the result is a drop in international adoptions. In most cases, it takes roughly a year to adopt a child from the U.S. foster care system. The average time it took in 2011 to complete an international adoption from Hague Convention countries ranged from 79 days to almost two years. In addition, most adoptions from U.S. foster care are free or any minimal costs are often reimbursable. For international adoptions from Hague Convention countries, costs ranged from free to $64,357, with half of service providers charging less than $26,559. These statistics came from the U.S. Children’s Bureau’s Preliminary 2011 Trends in Foster Care Report (PDF – 677KB) and the U.S. Department of State’s 2011 Annual Report on Intercountry Adoptions (PDF – 874KB). Myth: You have to have a lot of money and own a house to adopt from foster care Reality: You don’t need to own your own home or be wealthy to adopt. In Hamilton County, most adoptions are free or have minimal court costs and fees -- most of which may qualify for reimbursement. Some companies or organizations also offer adoption reimbursements. In addition, there are many different types of post-adoption resources, such as medical assistance and financial adoption assistance, based on the special needs of a child, to help support and sustain adoptions from the U.S. foster care system.* For example, if you adopt a child after their 13th birthday, those children will not have to include their parents' income in their financial aid applications. And if you adopt a child after their 16th birthday, they may be eligible for the Education and Training Voucher Program. This program offers funds (up to $5,000 a year) to foster youth and former foster youth to use for tuition, books or qualified living expenses when they attend colleges, universities and vocational training schools. Families may also qualify for a federal adoption tax credit if they adopt a child with special needs. Families must simply provide documentation of the state's adoption subsidy for the child as proof of special needs. The tax credit maximum may change from year to year. Check with your tax professional or visit www.irs.gov for more information. In order to adopt through Hamilton County, you must be 18 years old, have a bed available for the child (if the child is going to share a bedroom, it must be with another same-sex child), have income that meets your needs and the needs of the child, pass a rigorous criminal background check and be in good mental, emotional and physical shape. Myth: Only married couples with a stay-at-home parent can adopt children from foster care Reality: In most instances, a person’s marital status, age, income, or sexual orientation are not used to disqualify them from adopting. In 2011, 32 percent of children adopted from foster care in the U.S. were matched with either a single-parent household or unmarried couple. This includes adoptions by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) families. * Myth: You have to be of child-bearing age to adopt Reality: Each year, many Hamilton County children are adopted by parents who are also grandparents and have full grown children. Myth: You can’t adopt a neighbor’s child or one you know personally or professionally Reality: When a child is removed from their home by a court order and is placed into U.S. foster care, and then later becomes available for adoption (meaning their birth parents’ rights have been legally terminated), a caseworker will often explore connections the child already has with supportive adults in their life as possible placements for adoption or foster care. This is known as case-file mining and is a proven best practice in finding temporary or permanent placements for children served by the U.S. foster care system.* Myth: The only way to adopt in Hamilton County is through the website, www.hckids.org Reality: Most of the children adopted each year in Hamilton County are adopted by their foster parents. We encourage anyone considering adoption in Hamilton County to also consider becoming a foster parent. Fostering-to-adopt has a number of advantages, including the chance to live with and fall in love with the children before making the commitment to adopt. Foster-to-adoption is also a good option for parents who are looking to adopt an infant or toddler, since foster parents get first priority when a child becomes available for adoption. Myth: If you want to adopt through foster care, you have to be a foster parent first Reality: While becoming a foster parent first is an option, and one we often encourage, it is not necessary. All of the children listed on our website, www.hckids.org, are already in the permanent custody of Hamilton County Job and Family Services and looking for a forever family. Myth: A birth parent or another relative can take an adopted child back Reality*: Adoptions of children from U.S. foster care are legally binding agreements that do not occur until the rights of all parents have been legally terminated by a court of law. It’s very rare that an adoption is challenged in court by a child’s birth relative. More than 98 percent of legally completed adoptions remain intact. As for a child in foster care having continued contact with their birth family, it will vary depending on the specifics of the case and the placement being considered for the child.
Myth: Adopting an older child is dangerous and parents won’t have as much time to bond Reality: Children in foster care, through no fault of their own, had to be removed from their families due to abusive or neglectful situations. While all of our children have experienced some level of abuse or neglect, they also are children who love to laugh and play, have favorite toys and friends, and have hopes and dreams for their futures – especially for permanent, loving and committed parents. By adopting an older child you also have a chance to share interests more quickly like camping, traveling, music or sports. *Information with an
asterisk was provided by AdoptUsKids.org |
