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Foster Care Adoption is a Pro-Life Choice

Families who choose to adopt are responding generously to the call of the human heart. The greatest need is for families open to adopting an older child or other vulnerable or at-risk children, including infants with special needs.

Waiting child adoption

Dave and Lauren always knew they would adopt. Then they learned how many kids were waiting.

Serving Vulnerable Children

When families decide to bring a child into their home through adoption they are responding generously to the call of the human heart. Many families hope to adopt an infant. However, the greatest need, is for families open to adopting an older child or children who are especially vulnerable and at risk, including infants with special needs. This includes:

  • Children and/or sibling sets who are in foster care (locally and throughout the country) who hope to be adopted. Check out www.AdoptUSKids.org to see some of the children seeking forever families.
    • Most children who have been in foster care have experienced loss and trauma that may cause them to have special emotional, behavioral, and sometimes physical needs. Families seeking to adopt mist be prepared to meet these needs, but parents don’t have to do it alone. Catholic Charities will equip you with the tools to meet these needs, create a safe and healing home, and help these children thrive.
  • Babies with medical conditions or diagnosed special needs (either during pregnancy or after birth) such as Down syndrome, heart defects, neurological issues, substance exposure, or other medical or developmental needs. Learn more about Special Needs Adoption.

 

Did you know...

 

  • Some 100,000 children living in foster care are waiting for their forever families.
  • The average age of a child awaiting adoption is 8 years old.
  • A majority of the time, siblings are separated when entering foster care or completing adoption.
  • Catholic Charities provides ongoing adoption support, from the home study, match, and placement through subsidy application, connecting with local resources, and adoption finalization. We remain a lifelong support to all our adoptive families.

 

What Kind of Support is Available to Adoptive Families?

You Open Your Heart and We’ll Give you the Tools

  • Ongoing adoption support and education, from the home study process, match and placement, subsidy negotiations, placement, post placement and adoption finalization.
  • Frequent post placement visits and contact with you and your adopted child(ren) to assist with the transition, provide support and complete necessary documentation until the adoption is finalized.
  • Monthly support groups and education for waiting adoptive families
  • Annual events and training opportunities for families who have already placed or adopted

Good to know

  • In addition to being added onto the adoptive family’s insurance, adopted children are eligible for Medicaid as a secondary insurance.
  • Adopted children with special needs are eligible for Adoption Subsidy, a recurring payment to adoptive family to assist the family in addressing the special needs of the child.Grants are available to adoptive families to help cover the costs of special needs adoptions.

How do we get started?

If you would like information on adopting a child through Catholic Charities, please complete this short inquiry form and we will send you more information.

Preparing Adoptive Families to Adopt from Foster Care

Our “Waiting Child Adoption” program seeks to set your family up for success, and to be a live-long resource for adoptive families. After you complete a foster care adoption class your social worker will help you through the home study process, and teach the skills needed to care for and help heal a hurt child. Training includes but is not limited to:

  • Parent Resources for Information, Development and Educations (PRIDE) or National Training and Development Curriculum for Foster and Adoptive Parents (NTDC) Foster/Adoption Training
  • Trauma-Informed Parenting
  • Exposure and Application to Trust-Based Relational Interventions (TBRI)

Finding Your Child

Once you are home study-approved, we work with you in the matching process. Inquiries and the ultimate decision will go to the child’s legal guardian -- typically the social worker with the local social services.

Families are matched with children by:

  • Local referrals

Efforts will always be made to keep children close to their community. We work with Virginia public and private agencies to process their requests for adoptive families and to make sure they know about our available families.

  • AdoptUSKids

This national database lists children currently in the foster care system who are available for adoption. Our families set up their own adoptive family profile then search the database for children and request more information about those children.

  • Other Adoption Databases

Families can access other state or agency specific listings to search for children available for adoption before they are posted to the National Database. Your worker will provide you with a list of these resources.

  • Older Child Adoption Referrals (non-foster care)

When we are asked to match an older child with an adoptive family, we consider our Waiting Child families because they have the background and training that best equips them for adopting a child over age 2.

  • Marketing & Relationships 

Catholic Charities staff have extensive experience working in public and private foster care and can effectively build relationships and share relevant information about your family. We promote our waiting families by:

  • Attending and promoting matching events
  • Featuring waiting/available families to counties/agencies in a quarterly newsletter
  • Developing and distributing family flyers for sharing with social workers when inquiring about a child

We advocate for our families every step of the way to help you navigate the complex child welfare system.

“Children with special needs are a true gift that our current culture is choosing to throw away. If you are in a position where you are considering adoption, please consider these children, too. There is such joy in embracing a child who reflects our Creator in such a unique way.”
— Ally, Adoptive mother
Read Ally’s Story: Special Needs Adoptions Brings Blessings

Helpful Links

NACAC: Adoption Assistance in Virginia

Our Fiat: Saying ‘Yes’ to the Unknown in Adoption

Blog Post: Adoption and Child Wellness

Charlett’s Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP0dS3H1mWg

Licensed. Ethical. Reputable.Since 1947, Catholic Charities Pregnancy and Adoption Support has served communities in Northern Virginia and surrounding areas.
We seek to equip and empower adoptive families with all of the support and information they need to give them a solid foundation, no matter the adoption path they take. Our programs are structured not just to help you to adopt, but to foster a healthy adoption for you and your child(ren).
At Catholic Charities, we believe firmly that adoption is a lifelong journey. No matter the circumstances, adoption becomes interwoven into those impacted by it. Adoption impacts all members of the adoption triad (birth family, adoptive family and adoptee) in various ways and significance throughout their lives. Therefore, we remain a lifelong resource to all members of the adoption triad so that if they find themselves in need of support or uncertain how to navigate a situation, they know where to turn.
Adoption is a lifelong journey, let us walk with you. 

Thank you so very much for allowing me the opportunity to work with your agency! It was truly a pleasure and I will be sure to recommend your services to our families here. As mentioned many times before, it was a breath of fresh air to feel a sense of "teamwork" with (Catholic Charities Staff) during the last few months. The attention to detail and efficiency spoke volumes about how much you care for the families you work with. If you need anything from me in the near future please do not hesitate to reach out!
County Social Worker -