What kind of children are available for adoption?
Children of all ages are waiting for adoptive homes, although there are more children ages five and up in need of a permanent home. We also have teens and sibling groups who ideally would be placed in the same home so they can grow up together. The ethnic background of children waiting for adoptive homes is similar to the general population of Santa Cruz County.
What is Concurrent Planning?
When a child is removed from the home, Family & Children's Services is required by law to do the following two things at the same time:
- Work with the child's parents to try to successfully reunify the child with the birth parents; and
- Try to find a permanent family if the child cannot be returned to the care of the birth parents.
Concurrent planning is in the child's best interest because there is no way to predict whether the birth family will successfully reunify. If reunification efforts are unsuccessful, time spent in foster care can be reduced if a foster family has a forever home waiting for the child.
Can I adopt a baby?
Yes, but it is likely to take much longer. There is a great need for foster parents willing to open their hearts to a child in foster care who can also provide a permanent home if the child cannot be reunited with the birth family. Currently, there are many children in need of these concurrent homes.
How long does it take to adopt a child?
That depends on how flexible you are about the type of child you can include in your family. If you are willing to open your home to a foster child and also accept the possibility of becoming that child's permanent family, this could expedite the adoption process if the child's parental rights are terminated. Once parental rights are terminated, it takes an average of 18 months to complete the adoptive process.