Waiting children are identified as children who have a goal of adoption and/or whose parental rights have been terminated. As of September 30, 2000, there were 131,000 waiting children.¹

1. Why are children placed in foster homes and adoptive homes?

Children are placed in adoptive homes if efforts to reunify them with their birth families are unsuccessful. Children whose parental rights have been legally terminated may be adopted by relatives, a foster family, or an adoptive family.

Children are placed in foster homes because they have been removed from their own families due to abuse, neglect, or other family problems that endanger their safety. The children may range from infancy through 18 years of age, and may have special medical, physical, or emotional needs. The children may belong to any ethnicity or race and be a part of a group of brothers and sisters who need to be placed together.

2. How do I Become a Foster or Adoptive Family?

Step 1: Attend Information Meeting
You will need to attend an informational meeting in your area where you can discuss the scope and requirements of being a foster or adoptive parent. You will get basic information and questions are welcome. Your local Department of Social Services (DSS) office will furnish you with this information if there are no informational meetings in your area. The office may have another name in your State, such as Services to Children and Families.