Foster Child Adoption

Foster child adoption refers to adopting a child from the United States Foster Care System. Children in foster care are very seldom infants or toddlers. They are usually older children who are in the care and custody of the state due to abandonment, abuse, or neglect; abandoned by their natural families, or removed from their homes to preserve their safety and well-being. Each child enters the system with their own story and their own unique needs.

Children in the foster care system often have physical, emotional, psychological, mental, social, or learning disabilities. All too often these children have a combination of disabilities. These disabilities are referred to as special needs. Life events, and the circumstances that bring a child to foster care result in emotional and psychological issues that can result in multiple special needs. Though parenting these children with special needs may sometime be a challenge, parents of children with special needs report the rewards far outweigh the challenges.

Children in foster care are often referred to as "waiting children". Though each state has their own adoption laws, there are federal laws common to all states. For those interested in adopting a foster child it is best to follow some general standard guidelines that will fit within the adoption framework of any particular state. Photographs and information on waiting children in the foster care system can be found on Internet photolistings such as Adoptable Kids.