Informational & Practice Publications, Resources, & Tools
Facilitating an Adult Adoption as a Pathway to Permanence for Older Youth
Adult adoption is the legal process of adopting a person over the age of 18, which results in a legally recognized parent-child relationship. This publication highlights the possibility of this pathway to permanence for older youth and young adults who have yet to establish permanent legal connections. It provides an overview of the steps to facilitating an adult adoption and discusses common reasons for considering this option. Additional resources are provided, along with a listing of State-specific statutes, information, and resources. (April 2013)
Birth Parents in the Adoption Process
This NRCPFC information packet focuses on the experiences of birth parents in adoptions where voluntary relinquishment occurred. It includes the following sections: Fact Sheet, Laws and Policies, Best Practice Tips, and Resources. Authored by Susann A. Cortes (May 2012); Edited by Lyn Ariyakulkan (August 2012)
Birthright: An Adoptee's Right to Know
This NRCPFC information packet looks at the policies and principles concerning adoptees who search for their birth parents. It provides a history of adoption record policies, explores what may motivate adoptees to search for their birth families, and provides additional resources relevant to this topic. Written by Jami Shapiro (May 2004)
Adoptive Parent Handbooks
The NCCWE has compiled this state-by-state listing of free online handbooks. These handbooks assist prospective adoptive parents in negotiating the adoption process, as well as handbooks providing information on post-adoption services for families.
Training & Curricula
Foster Adoption and Infant Adoption: Changes in Practice
This presentation by Gerald P. Mallon, Executive Director of NRCPFC was given at the Adoption Connections Training Institute: OneWorld Neighborhood, Third Annual International Conference on Post-Adoption Services. (February 2007)
*Many of these resources were developed previously by the
National Resource Center for
Permanency and Family Connections (NRCPFC).
Informational & Practice Publications, Resources, & Tools
Adopting as a Single Parent
Developed by the Child Welfare Information Gateway, this factsheet focuses on the adoption of children by single people. This resource explores considerations in the decision to adopt, discusses the path to adoption, provides suggestions for parenting children, and lists additional helpful resources. (October 2013)
Stepparent Adoption
Stepparent adoption is governed by State law. Most States make the adoption process a little easier for stepparents, but requirements for home studies, criminal background checks, and procedures for obtaining consent of the noncustodial parent vary widely by State. This factsheet from the Child Welfare Information Gateway offers general information about legal issues to consider and steps to take when adopting a stepchild. While many stepparent adoptions can be done without the help of a lawyer, stepparents may wish to consult an adoption attorney to understand the specific legal requirements in their State. Additional resources for more information are included. (May 2013)
Openness in Adoption: Building Relationships Between Adoptive and Birth Families This factsheet from the Child Welfare Information Gateway is intended to support adoptive families in considering and maintaining open adoption. It describes open adoption and various levels of openness, trends towards increasing openness, and the potential benefits of open adoption. Additionally, this factsheet provides adoptive families with questions to consider in deciding whether open adoption is right for them, strategies to build and maintain relationships with their children’s birth families, and tips for using social media for contact with birth families. (January 2013)
Working With Birth and Adoptive Families to Support Open Adoption The Child Welfare Information Gateway has developed this bulletin for professionals which describes open adoption and ways in which professionals can guide birth and adoptive families who are contemplating open adoption or who are already having post-adoption contact. The bulletin examines trends in openness; explores the benefits of open adoption, implications for casework practices, and implications for agencies; and discusses adoption and the internet. (January 2013)
Selecting and Working with a Therapist Skilled in Adoption
Adoption has a lifelong impact on those it touches, and members of adoptive families may want professional help when concerns arise. Timely intervention by a professional skilled in adoption, attachment, and trauma issues often can prevent concerns from becoming more serious problems. This factsheet from the Child Welfare Information Gateway offers information on the different types of therapy and providers available to help, and it offers suggestions on how to find an appropriate therapist. Foster parents also may find definitions and descriptions in this factsheet useful. (July 2012)
Who May Adopt, Be Adopted, or Place a Child for Adoption?
All States have laws that specify which persons are eligible as adopting parents, which persons can be adopted, and which persons or entities have the authority to make adoptive placements. This publication from the Child Welfare Information Gateway summarizes adoption statutes by State and territories. (current through January 2012)
Increasing Your Agency’s Capacity to Respond to Prospective Parents and Prepare Older Youth for Adoption: Going Beyond Recruitment for 14 to 16 Year Olds
This resource from AdoptUSKids is intended to help support agencies in recruiting adoptive parents for 14 to 16 year olds in foster care. It provides agencies with useful tools to inform their work and to be shared with prospective adoptive parents who are considering adopting older youth. The packet contains the following sections: Working Within and Across Systems to Promote Permanency for Older Youth; Exploring Family Characteristics that Contribute to Successful Older Youth Adoption; Helping Prospective Parents Consider and Prepare for Adopting Older Youth; Using Preparation of Prospective Parents to Address Older Youth Adoption Topics; Providing Valuable Tools and Information to Empower Families Adopting Older Youth; Preparing Older Youth for Adoption; and, Strategies to Help Older Youth Consider Adoption. (2012)
Adoption Assistance for Children Adopted from Foster Care
This fact sheet from the Child Welfare Information Gateway provides information regarding adoption assistance in the form of subsidies and how to arrange for adoption assistance. It discusses eligibility requirements for Federal Title IV-E Adoption Assistance, as well as State adoption assistance programs that include medical, direct payment, and supplemental assistance. (February 2011)
Persons Seeking to Adopt
Published by the Child Welfare Information Gateway, this fact sheet uses data primarily from two national surveys to examine recent statistics, characteristics, and trends regarding American adults who seek to adopt an infant or child. (February 2011)
Frequently Asked Questions about Medicaid and Adoption Assistance
This section of The Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance (AAICAMA) offers answers to frequently asked questions regarding general Medicaid information, Medicaid and title IV-E Adoption Assistance, Medicaid and state-funded Adoption Assistance, and basic information on adoption assistance. (2011)
Intercountry Adoption From Hague Convention and Non-Hague Convention Countries
This fact sheet for families from the Child Welfare Information Gateway provides a general overview of intercountry adoption, a comparison of adoptions from Hague versus Non-Hague Convention countries, and answers to frequently asked questions. (January 2009)
Intercountry Adoption: Where Do I Start?
The Child Welfare Information Gateway produced this fact sheet which presents an overview of the intercountry adoption process. It includes information on deciding whether to pursue an intercountry adoption and what country the child will come from, finding an adoption services provider, the adoption process, meeting immigration and citizenship requirements, and adjusting to the new family. (January 2009)
Adoption USA: A Chartbook Based on the 2007 National Survey of Adoptive Parents
This Chartbook, from Child Trends and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, presents findings from the nationally representative 2007 National Survey of Adoptive Parents (NSAP). It describes the characteristics, adoption experiences, and well-being of adopted children (from foster care and other domestic and international sources) and their families, and draws a comparison to children in the general population. Information regarding types of adoption, adoption by relatives, contact with birth families, physical health and social and emotional well-being of adopted children, and parenting are also provided. (2009)
The Roundtable Newsletter
The National Resource Center for Adoption (NRCA), a service of the Children’s Bureau and member of the T/TA Network, publishes The Roundtable newsletter which highlights an array of adoption-related issues, State examples, laws, policies, and practice protocols.
State Adoption and Foster Care Information
A resource for families from AdoptUSKids that provides information on adoption and foster care for specific States, Territories, and Tribes.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services- Adoption
This resource from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provides information regarding intercountry adoption from the beginning of the process through to finalization.
Wherever My Family Is: That’s Home! Adoption Services for Military Families
This five-part guide from AdoptUSKids provides practitioners with information and procedures on preparing and supporting military families who wish to adopt children or provide foster care. The guide discusses the principles and practices pertaining to inter-jurisdictional, international, and infant adoptions, as well as adoption of relatives’ children from foster care.
Working with African American Adoptive, Foster and Kinship Families
Developed by AdoptUSKids, the purpose of this guide is to assist child welfare staff in working with prospective and current African American foster, adoptive and kinship families. The following sections are included in this guide: a historical perspective, strengths of African Americans, tips to remember, and a resource list for additional information.
Research & Reports
Achieving Successful Adoptions: Voices of Prospective and Current Adoptive Parents from the Wendy's Wonderful Kids Evaluation
A report from Child Trends that presents and evaluates data gathered through interviewing current and prospective adoptive parents receiving services from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption’s Wendy’s Wonderful Kids (WWK) adoption recruitment program. In addition to exploring the views of parent participants regarding the adoption process, this brief summarizes existing research about barriers and facilitators to successful adoptions. (October 2011)
Achieving Permanency for Children: Timely Adoption Practices in Child Welfare Services
In this report by the University of California Davis, Human Services Northern California Training Academy, a literature review is provided of the factors and practices in the field of Child Welfare Services (CWS) that impact timely adoption placements. (January 2009)
Teleconferences, Webinars, Webcasts & Videos
"Say Yes": Educational Video from the Dave Thomas Foundation
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption offers this free educational DVD that can be ordered online. In “Say Yes,” watch six children’s lives change in this powerful first-person narrative of foster care adoption.
State Examples
New York:
New York State Adoption Services (NYSAS)
This website from the State of New York Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) provides an array of information on New York State Adoption Service (NYSAS). The website contains a video gallery of adoptable children, listing of approved adoption agencies, information on the adoption process, and links for other adoption resources.
New York City ACS: Become a Foster or Adoptive Parent
The New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) presents information on becoming a foster or adoptive parent in the City of New York. Additional support resources are also provided.
Wisconsin:Adoption Resources of Wisconsin
Adoption Resources of Wisconsin (ARW), in partnership with Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, serves as an umbrella over adoption and foster care in Wisconsin, offering information, training, and support to families and professionals.
