- Foster Child Adoption
There are more than 90,000 California children who
require the protection of the juvenile court and the
public social services system. Many have no available or
safe relative to care for them. The children range in
age from 6 months to 17 years, with most being younger
than 12 years. Once the court has determined that
adoption is the permanent plan for a foster child, an
adoptive family is sought who can take the child into
their home on a foster care basis until all of the legal
requirements are met to proceed to adoption. Foster
children who are adopted may have a variety of special
needs as a result of neglect, abuse, drug exposure,
abandonment, and/or having experienced multiple foster
placements. Single children and sibling groups are
waiting for a permanent family. Service fees for a
family study in this program are usually waived.
Adoption subsidy following legal adoption may be
available in these situations. Kinship Center provides
pre- and post- adoption education and counseling to
assist families.
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- Infant adoption services
Kinship Center has a program for the placement of
apparently healthy newborns. Couples must have a stable
marriage or a stable relationship of at least two years
duration and must reside in California. Single parent
applicants are also eligible. We request that applicants
be within their normal child raising years. Profiles of
potential adoptive parents are presented to birth
parents that are receiving counseling. Most birth
parents request an initial face-to-face meeting and may
wish negotiation of varying degrees of openness over
time.
The infants in this program may be of Caucasian,
African-American, Asian, Hispanic or mixed heritage.
Adopting parents may be asked to pay for medical
expenses and, in some cases, living expenses for the
birthmother. Fees for Kinship Center's services are
discussed individually with each applicant.
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- International Adoption
Kinship Center offers family studies to singles and
couples who are working cooperatively with an agency or
facilitator with adoption contacts in other countries.
If you are not already connected, we can refer you to
several reputable agencies and facilitators with
international programs in a variety of countries.
Immigration and naturalization services require a full
family study be completed before a visa can be issued
for a child to enter the United States for the purpose
of either an agency or independent adoption. Family
study fees are discussed individually with each
applicant. Post placement services are also available as
needed for additional fees, depending upon the services
requested.
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- Attorney-Assisted Collaborative
Adoption
Singles or couples may request a family study for the
purpose of an attorney-assisted adoption. A full agency
family study prepares prospective adoptive parents to
adopt through a variety of avenues: interstate
independent adoption where the finalization takes place
in the other state; interstate agency to agency
adoption; agency to agency adoption within California;
or, conversion of an independent adoption in California
to a designated agency adoption. A family study may also
be used as a pre-placement assessment for an interstate
independent adoption. When finalization of the adoption
will take place in California, the State Department of
Social Services is also required to conduct a study
prior to finalization; however. a completed agency study
can be of assistance to the State social worker. Service
fees for a family study under this program are
determined on an individual basis depending of the type
of study requested. Additional fees are charged for
birth parent services and post placement services as
needed.
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- Independent Pre-placement
Assessments (IPA)
Families seeking an independent adoption may wish to
complete an abbreviated family study prior to receiving
a child into their home. The State Department of Social
Services will accept the IPA study, but will still
perform post-placement visits and submit a
recommendation to the court prior to the legal
finalization of the adoption. The IPA fee is $1250 as
set by the State Department of Social Services. However,
additional fees may be charged for extraordinary
services beyond the assessment.
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- Designated Adoption
When prospective parents and birth parents have reached
an adoption agreement independently and need help in
facilitating an adoption plan, Kinship Center can
provide professional counseling for both birth and
adoptive parents. If the adoptive parents have already
completed a family study, or there is time to complete
one, and the birth parents wish to relinquish the child
for placement with the adoptive family upon leaving the
hospital, Kinship Center can facilitate the placement as
an agency adoption. In a designated adoption, the
relinquishment that is signed by the birth parents names
the adoptive parents. A professional and caring staff is
here to help with counseling, supporting legal and
medical arrangements and negotiating openness issues.
Service fees in a designated adoption situation are
determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the
services being requested. Services and counseling for
the birth parents and post-placement adoption services
are billed separately on a fee-for-specific-services
basis.
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If you would like to learn more about
adoption and foster care, we welcome your call or email.
1-800-4-KINSHIP or
info@kinshipcenter.org or fill out our
adoption and foster
care inquiry form
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