Step One: Attend open house Step Two: Preparation and Selection Step Three: Training Step Four: The family Study Step Five: Application Approval Step Six: Matching Children and Families Final Step: Adoption Finalization Step One: Attend open house Attend an open house orientation in your area. You will discuss the scope and requirements of being a foster or adoptive parent with foster care and adoption caseworkers, experienced foster and adoptive families, and others who are also considering the idea of fostering or adopting. You will get basic information and answers to your questions. - back to top - Step Two: Preparation and Selection If you meet the basic requirements you are invited to sign up for the next Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) training session. The training sessions are usually held 3 hours per week for 10 weeks. ChildNet and local private agencies work together with both providing training. - back to top - Step Three: Training You will attend training to learn more about the children who are available for adoption and to assess your strengths in parenting children. The classes also boost your knowledge and confidence to meet the challenge of taking children into your home. This helps to ensure you are ready to follow through on the commitment. - back to top - Step Four: The Family Study A Recruitment Specialist will visit you in your home. The purpose is to discuss your personal history, family interests and lifestyle, child-care experiences, the types of children you feel would best fit your home, and your strengths and skills in meeting children's needs. The specialist will interview everyone living in your home. Kinds of topics you will discuss: Why you want to adopt or foster a child Your marriage (if applicable) Your lifestyle and how it would accommodate a child Your finances Your parenting philosophy Your support system - back to top - Step Five: Application Approval When your home study has been approved, your name will join a pool of waiting families and you will have access to portfolios on this website. The task of our adoption and recruitment staff is to match the strengths of your family with the needs of the child. In order to get better acquainted with the children in need of a permanent home, you may attend ChildNet sponsored events with children seeking families. - back to top - Step Six: Matching Children and Families When a recruitment specialist identifies a child that is a possible match for your family, we will provide you with in-depth information and a picture of a child. The recruitment specialist will arrange a meeting. If you feel you and the child are right for each other, you will visit together as many times as is necessary, until everyone is comfortable. Then the child will come to live with your family. To ensure everyone is happy with the adoption, there is a three-month adjustment period before the adoption is complete. - back to top - Final Step: Adoption Finalization The process will be completed when you finalize the adoption before a judge. Your child will receive a new birth certificate with his or her new last name on it: yours. Then you and your child are a family in the eyes of the law. - back to top -