DO YOU LOVE CHILDREN? DO YOU WANT MORE?

There are children waiting to be adopted in each and every state of our country. If you want children you can have them. You can choose what race will fit your family dynamic. You can choose what age fits into your home best. You can choose to take in just boys or just girls. You have all the power right there in your own hands to become a loving parent to children who really need loving parents.

If you aren't a "baby" mom then guess what, you can skip the infant stage! (Yes, I am holding my hand high and admitting that infancy is not my favorite parenting stage) You can ask for children who are already finished with bottles so you can get right to the nurturing, sharing, talking, listening part of parenting.

Are you ready to take the first step?

However, if you do want a baby, you can have a baby. You don't even have to wait a long time to get one. You can have a baby in a few months if you really do want one. I'm writing this in November so If you are reading this in November you could easily have a child in your home by April or May. Just think! That's quicker than if you baked one yourself!

If you want to fill your life with a child or children, you can surely handle foster parenting or adopting a child who is already waiting in the system. If you are worried that you will become attached then I hope you do become a foster parent. YOU are the kind of parent those children need! They NEED people who will love them, care for them, impact their lives with love so they will know what it is when they see it. What is more, YOU will be utterly surprised at how much you need them. You will learn from them and be humbled by them. Yes, even the troubled children teach us so much about ourselves, our perceptions, our misunderstandings. YOU can do something powerful with your life. You get one go round in this world. YOU have the power to live it in an amazing way!

Sure you will get attached and Yes, you will love them like crazy but I tell you, if their parents do what it takes to turn things around then you will be happy to see them go home with their family. And If their birth parents do not do what it takes, then you get the overwhelming blessing and honor to KEEP the children as God's molded family. Isn't that a risk you hand handle? Can't you handle parenting in the hope that your actions will impact some children in this world for the better? Will you be able to handle the fact that you will also learn, grow and become a more well rounded human for having been touched by these children?

If you are wondering whether you are eligible, just read the questions and answers below.

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Who can Foster or Adopt?

• You do not have to be married to foster or adopt a child or children. Many children will thrive in a single parent home.
• You do not need to own your own home. A rented home or apartment is fine, as long as there is adequate bedroom space per child. The home must be free from health and fire hazards, and must have a safe play area for children.
• You do not need to be rich to adopt or be a foster parent. Even if you receive some type of financial assistance, you are still eligible to provide foster care or adopt as long as you have resources to provide for your family.

Anyone applying to foster or adopt must meet the following qualifications:

• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Be of good moral character.
• Be willing to provide care for children who are in foster care.
• Understand the care which must be provided to the children, or express a willingness to learn how to provide that care.
• Have enough time to provide care and supervision for the children.
• Have a specific source of income, and be capable of managing that income, to meet the needs of the family.
• Be of such physical, mental, and emotional health to be able to properly care for the children.
• Be able to assure the proper care and safety of children.
• Be willing to comply with the licensing rules.

If you have a spouse or live-in-partner, they will also be required to participate in the homestudy process as well as attend the P.R.I.D.E. (Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education) training series with you.

Does it Cost to Foster or Adopt?

When working with a local DHS office to adopt a child from the Michigan Foster Care System, the family is not charged for the home assessment process.

Some private agencies will require a home assessment fee. However, once the family adopts a child from the foster care system in Michigan, the family must be reimbursed that fee by the agency for a Michigan child. If the family adopts a child from another state’s foster care system, that family may be reimbursed through that State’s Nonrecurring Adoption Expenses. Also, if a child in foster care is also eligible for subsidy, then the adoptive family may be eligible for reimbursement of limited nonrecurring adoption-related costs.

Yes, you can adopt a child who is waiting in foster care in any state in the U.S.