1. Select a county or private agency to begin your inquiry. Friends, relatives or people in the community may have knowledge of local agencies. REACH can also refer you to agencies serving your area.
    

2. Make your first call. The agency will mail you an information packet.
    

3. Attend an informational meeting. You'll learn about adoption and foster care and the children who are in need of permanent families. You'll begin to evaluate your own interests and strengths, and to assess whether adoption or foster care is right for you.
    

4. Complete an application. A social worker will review the application and see that all the needed information is in place.
    

5. Complete training. You will learn about common situations children in care have lived through and how these experiences may impact them. You'll build parenting skills and learn how to create healthy family relationships with children who are not able to grow up with their birth families.
    

6. Complete your licensing/home study (3-6 month process). A social worker will lead you through an assessment of your family, including your parenting styles, skills with children and youth, family of origin experiences, family support systems, medical issues, community resources and much more. The social worker will talk extensively with you about preparing the best possible home for children with special needs.
    

7. Become licensed (for foster care) or approved for adoption. Upon meeting licensing requirements, foster parents receive state licensure. For pre-adoptive parents, home studies must be approved.
    

8. Begin the matching process. You will receive a "referral" for a child. This is a summary of information about the child, his or her unique situation, characteristics, strengths and challenges and the type of home the child needs. A good "match" of child and adoptive family is based on the needs of the child. Some children may be an appropriate match for you; others will not. It is sometimes possible to meet or communicate with the child's social worker, therapist, foster family and others during this stage.
    

9. Have pre-placement visits. This is a wise idea for foster care. It is essential for adoption. There are usually several visits in your home so you and your new family can begin to build relationships.
    

10. Formalize a child placement. You can now welcome your child into your home as the newest member of the family. You will have added rights and responsibilities in parenting the child.seeing that school, medical, dental, and other ongoing needs are met, that visits with birth families take place (if part of the plan), etc.
     

11. Attend finalization hearing. (Adoption only). Several months up to a year or more after your adoptive child joins the family, the adoption is legalized. This is a court appearance, where a judge's decree makes the adoption final. You are permanently granted all rights and responsibilities of being a legal parent to your child. The child receives all the rights and privileges of being your legal child.

After the adoption, your family may benefit from the help and support of other adoptive families and community resources as you learn to live and grow together. It is important to remember that there are resources out there for you. The REACH Project can help connect you with post-adoption resources.