Adoption
Are you thinking about Adoption? Currently, there are over 3,000 children waiting for adoption in the state of Ohio. These children are of various ages from toddlers to teenagers. There are individual children and sibling groups currently in need of a family. Some of these children are special needs children. Children often are classified as special needs due to being part of a sibling group, being a minority child, being six years of age or older or the child may have emotional, physical or educational issues. Agape for Youth, Inc. and Adoption Agape for Youth, Inc. is a private, non profit, foster care and adoption agency founded in 1989. The purpose of this agency was to develop quality foster care for some of society’s most vulnerable children. Agape provides professional and quality services and throughout the years has earned a positive reputation as an agency of dedicated staff and personal care towards children and families. This contributes to the continual growth of Agape and allows Agape to extend the scope of services to provide adoption preparation, placement and support. Agape for Youth is licensed through the state of Ohio Job and Family Services to work with all 88 counties within the State of Ohio. Agape contracts with child welfare agencies to provide quality families care for children who cannot live with their biological families. We provide a variety of adoption services. Many adoptions occurring through this agency are by families who are dually licensed to foster and adopt children. Agape for Youth, Inc. also is qualified to complete private adoption homestudies and has collaborated with out of state agencies and with Interstate Compact to ensure thorough adoption services to families and children. Is there a cost to adopt? There is no fee for the adoption of a waiting child in the custody of a public children service agency. There is a fee for families interested in having a private adoption homestudy and adoption supervision services. The Agape for Youth, Inc. adoption fee arrangement is non-discriminatory and allows families of various income levels the opportunity to adopt. These fees are contained within the Agape for Youth, Inc. adoption policy. A copy of the adoption policy can be obtained by contacting Agape for Youth, Inc. and requesting a copy of the policy.
Steps to Becoming an Adoptive Parent * Contact Agape for adoption information and request an application. * Meet with the Agape staff to discuss questions regarding adoption and the homestudy requirements. * Completing the homestudy process consists of attending parenting education classes and assessment interviews. This process helps the adoption assessor and potential adoptive family determine the type of child that the family could best parent. * Children are referred to Agape for adoption by children services agencies. Some children are initially referred for foster care and later need an adoptive home. These children are placed with foster-to-adopt families. * Some children are initially in need adoptive homes. Many of these children are older, minority children, sibling groups or have special needs. * When a child is referred for adoption and Agape for Youth has a potential family for that child, detailed information about the child is requested and shared with the potential adoptive parents. * The adoptive family along with professionals involved work together to determine if the child and family are a good match and whether future contact and placement plans should be made. * Meetings between the child and the prospective adoptive family are arranged. * Adoptive parents are encouraged to express whether they believe the child and family is a good match and whether to proceed with adoption plans * Adoptive placement into the home and on-going contact and support from the Agape staff helps prepare the family and youth for adoption. Adoption planning and monitoring will continue for six months, until the child can be legally adopted by the approved family. * Probate court reviews the petition and finalizes the adoption. * Agape continues to be available for nine months following the finalization of the adoption to provide ongoing support for the entire family. If you have questions regarding adoptions or if you are ready to begin the licensing process: Please contact Email: Agape for Youth, Inc. or the Agape for Youth, Inc. office at (937) 439 - 4406.
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Request Information To become a Foster Parent or Adoptive Parent in Southwest Ohio
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October/November December 2008 Newsletter
Newsletter and Annual Report Archives
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