Adopting a foster child is a fantastic way to expand your family and welcome a new addition with whom you already have a relationship. Adoption laws and processes surrounding foster children work differently than they do with traditional adoptions. Below is an overview of the benefits of fostering and the steps of the adoption process.

Benefits of Fostering

If you are considering adoption through the foster care program, you will first enjoy the distinct rewards of fostering. Your family will provide a loving home to a child in need. Foster children come from biological families that could not provide them with the level of care and stability needed. Entering into a welcoming, affirming home will give the child the support they need to flourish. As a foster parent, your family—and your heart—will only grow.

Foster families typically receive monthly subsidies and insurance coverage to help with the costs and medical care of the child. They are also eligible to receive a tax credit, which they can use over five years.

The Adoption Process

Missouri adoption laws define the steps that a parent needs to undertake to adopt a foster child. First, the child must be in the foster care system. At this point, the goal of the family courts is to reunify the biological parents and child, and court officials will design a plan that leads to this reunion. If the biological parents do not fulfill the terms of the program, their parental rights are terminated, and the child becomes adoptable through foster care. This is when the foster parents can apply to adopt.

Foster parents must complete state-sanctioned parenting classes and home study programs before they can adopt. Adoption laws stipulate that prospective parents must be at least 21 years old, earn a steady income, be in sound physical and emotional health, and live in a stable home. The parents will also need to pass criminal background and child abuse and neglect checks.

If you want to adopt a foster child in Missouri, contact Rathjen - Decker Law, LLC. For more than 12 years, adoption law attorney Erin E. Rathjen-Decker has been representing clients throughout the St. Louis, MO, area. She offers legal services in all aspects of family law, including adoptions, divorces, and child custody disputes. Call (314) 727-6933 to schedule a consultation, or visit her office's website for more information about their family law services.