What should families know about foster parent adoptions?

When your family considers adopting a child in Illinois, you may not think about children from the foster care system. There are many children in foster care who need loving homes, though, and you likely have many questions about the process.

As you consider foster care adoption, you might wonder what this adoption means for your child’s birth family. According to Today.com, you can usually decide how much contact you have with the birth family. Sometimes your child might have come from a dangerous family situation and it may not always be safe for you to stay in contact with this family. In some situations, your child may choose not to have a relationship with his or her birth family. You may want to let your child decide if he or she wants to stay in touch with relatives.

When you first think about adopting from the foster system, you might worry that the foster care agency will pressure you to adopt several children. This usually does not happen, though. You are typically able to decide how many children you adopt and it is all right for you to tell the agency that you only want one child. Additionally, foster care agencies usually want to do what is best for each child, and they generally understand that sometimes you do not have the time and resources to care for multiple children.

Sometimes you might worry about the cost of an adoption. A foster care adoption is typically less expensive than an international adoption. The state of Illinois sometimes covers some of the expenses and might also provide financial aid when your child chooses to attend college. The typical foster care adoption costs about $2,500, though it is usually best to double check the costs in your area.

This information is general in nature. It should not be used in place of legal advice.