7 Steps to Adoption
Adoption is defined as the legal and social process by which a child born to one set of parents becomes the child of another parent or parents. People interested in adoption in Alabama have our support throughout the entire journey. There are hundreds of children waiting in foster care to find their forever families. This could be through kinship care our developing a strong family connection with a family supported throughout the entirety of the adoption process FREE counseling and so much more. The decision to adopt is a very important one and should be based on clear and accurate information. Alabama DHR has the responsibility of securing adoptive homes for children in foster care who become available for adoption through termination of parental rights. A family can exit this process at any point based on their family’s interests or needs. Fostering is often a path toward adoption, whether you live in Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery or any point in between, Children's Aid Society of Alabama is here to provide guidance, resources, and help you meet Alabama adoption requirements.
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Meeting Adoption Requirements
1. You must be willing and committed to being a parent!
2. You must be over 19 years of age.
3. If married, marriage must be of at least 3 years duration.
4. If a married couple, one must be a U.S. citizen
5. You must have adequate housing & space for the child or children adopted.
6. You must be healthy enough to meet a child's needs.
7. You must be willing to undergo a thorough background check. -
Application
If you feel adoption is something you and your family are deeply committed, you should call 866.4AL.KIDS. At your request, an Application to Foster and/or Adopt will be mailed to you.
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Training
After your Application to Foster and/or Adopt is received, you will be contacted about attending Group Preparation and Selection (GPS) meetings. GPS is a program designed specifically to educate potential adoptive and foster parent families on a variety of pertinent topics on their upcoming adoption experience.
A GPS class generally meets weekly for 10 weeks.
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Approval
Once you complete your family profile and home study, this information will be evaluated and a determination made on your application as an adoptive resource.
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Learning About Available Children
Adoptive placements are made by the Alabama Department of Human Resources' State Office of Permanency. Once you are selected as a potential resource for a child or children, you will be able to review background information. If you decide that you may be able to parent the child or children offered, you will meet the children in pre-placement visits.
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Legal Action
After a child has been placed successfully in your home for at least three months, the next step in the adoption process is the sanction by the court system that the child is legally your own. The social worker will give you the Department of Human Resources' Consent to Adopt so that you may began the legal process.
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A Life Long Process
The legal confirmation of your adoption is not the end, but rather the beginning of an experience that is unique. Alabama Pre/Post Adoption Connections (APAC) is available to you and your family on your journey.
For more information about adoption in Alabama, contact 866-4-AL-KIDS (866-425-5437) or email info@childrensaid.org
