definitions of adoptions

from adoption.com:

Private Adoption Agency: These licensed agencies can have a non-profit, not-for-profit or for-profit legal and tax status, and can be either general in their scope, or can develop an expertise and focus in a certain type of adoption, such as international adoptions, the adoption of foster children, or the adoption of children with special needs or those with a certain ethnic background.

International Adoptions: These adoptions involve children who were born in a country other than where the adoptive parents reside or are citizens, or who are citizens of a country other than where they live. These adoptions not only involve the normal state and federal laws that apply to all domestic adoptions, but they also are impacted by the laws of foreign countries and international treaties, but also require immigration approvals from the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Home Study: A home study is sometimes called an "adoption study," and is a written report containing the findings of the social worker who has met on several occasions with the prospective adoptive parents, has visited their home, and who has investigated the health, medical, criminal, family and home background of the adoptive parents. If there are other individuals that are also living in the home of the adoptive parents, they will be interviewed and investigated, if necessary, by the social worker and included as part of the home study. The purpose of the home study is to help the court determine whether the adoptive parents are qualified to adopt a child, based on the criteria that have been established by state law.

Foster-Adoption: A child placement in which birth parents' rights have not yet been severed by the court or in which birth parents are appealing the court's decision but foster parents agree to adopt the child if/when parental rights are terminated. Social workers place the child with specially-trained foster-adopt parents who will work with the child during family reunification efforts but who will adopt the child if the child becomes available for adoption. The main reason for making such a placement is to spare the child another move.

Foster Care: Placing a child in the temporary care of a family other than its own as the result of problems or challenges that are taking place within the birth family, or while critical elements of an adoption are being completed.

Foster Children: Children that are in the legal guardianship or custody of a state, county, or private adoption or foster care agency, yet are cared for by foster parents in their own homes, under some kind of short-term or long-term foster care arrangement with the custodial agency. These children will generally remain in foster care until they are reunited with their parents, or until their parents voluntarily consent to their adoption by another family, or until the court involuntarily terminates or severs the parental right of their biological parents, so that they can become available to be adopted by another family. Therefore, the parental rights of the parents of these children may or may not have been terminated or severed, and the children may or may not be legally available for adoption.

Foster/Adoption Placements: A child is placed with the foster/adopt family before the parental rights of the birth parents have been legally terminated, so there is still a possibility that the child may eventually be reunited with his or her birth family. If the parental rights of the child's birth parents are terminated, the foster/adopt family will be given preference to adopt the child.

Domestic Adoption: An adoption that involves adoptive parents and a child that are citizens and residents of the United States.

basic requirements for foster care:

Requirements to become a foster parent vary from state to state, but this list covers the basics. Be sure to check with the Foster Care Specialist (or equivalent) in your state or province for detailed information.

• Be at least 21 years old.
• Have enough room (and beds) in your home for a foster child to sleep and keep his or her belongings.
• Live in a home that can meet basic fire, safety and sanitary standards.
• Be physically and emotionally capable of caring for children and have no alcohol or drug abuse problems.
• Be able to pass a criminal background check and have no substantiated record of abusing or neglecting children.
• Make enough money to provide for your own family, so you do not need to depend on the foster care reimbursement you receive from the state as income.

parts of an email on foster care adoption process:

If you are interested in adoption, please consider the following:

Over 80% of the children in Kansas waiting for a forever family are age 6 years or older. While we understand the desire of many families to have younger children, we are currently looking for families who want to open their homes to older children.

Please understand that participation in any of the preparation process is not a guarantee that your family will be selected to adopt a specific child. The team of professionals working with each child will make the selection that best meets the child’s needs.

The first step in both adoption and foster care is to complete a 30-hour training course called PS-MAPP (Partnering for Permanency and Safety-Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting). PS-MAPP prepares individuals and families for the foster care and adoption processes, while teaching attendees how to make an informed decision about becoming a resource parent.

The PS-MAPP program guides potential families through the issues they will face as resource parents. Through carefully designed activities, parents learn about the challenges and opportunities associated with fostering and adopting. The class uses both group and individual exercises to help parents decide if their expectations and abilities match the realities of fostering and adopting.