Foster Homes and Adoptions

When a child cannot remain safely in his or her own home, Child Protective Services attempts to place children in the least restrictive, most family-like setting possible, including foster care.  Increasing the number of licensed foster homes increases the likelihood that a home will be available for a foster child regardless of location, age or number of siblings.

When a court has severed a parent’s legal rights to his or her child, the child is legally able to be adopted.  Achieving permanency through adoption creates safe, stable living environments for children who have been placed in out-of-home care.  Approximately 70 percent of children are adopted by relatives or the foster families they have been residing with.  Adoptive parents have the same legal rights as biological parents, including making decisions on medical care, enrolling children in school and determining where the child can reside.