Foster Care
Adoption
* Currently in Missouri, South Dakota, and Wyoming *
Children are placed into foster care for a variety of reasons. While foster care is meant to be temporary, sometimes reunification with a child’s family cannot happen; in this case, permanency may be found through adoption. Foster care adoption provides children in the foster care system who cannot return home with a family to experience for a lifetime.
400,000+
Children in Foster Care
20,000+
Age Out Every Year
52,560
Number of Children in Group Homes
100,000+
Children Nationwide in Foster Care that Are Legally Adoptable
The Need
Children enter the foster care system through no fault of their own. Often they have been abused, neglected, and/or abandoned. Their birth families will work towards reunification and many, by God’s grace, are successfully restored. For others, reunification is not possible nor in the best interest of the child and therefore the rights of the birth family are terminated and the child(ren) become available for adoption. In the United States, there are 100,000+ children in foster care who are legally free and waiting for a forever family.
The Solution
Mission-minded, gospel-centered families who are willing to care for a child who comes from a hard place. These children do not need perfect parents, but families who know their own need for Jesus and are called to give these children a safe and forever home where they will hear and experience the love of Jesus.
How To Get Started
Pray
We encourage families to set aside intentional time to pray through how God would lead your family.
Learn More
Learn more about the process, waiting, matching, and fees for adopting from foster care.
Connect
Schedule a personal info meeting to get your questions answered and learn more.
Inquire
Fill out the adoption interest form today, and a team member will follow up with you.
How to Fund Your Adoption
One of the biggest hesitations families express as they approach adoption is the financial cost. Many of the fees associated with Foster Care Adoption could be paid for by the state in which your child is from; however, this is not guaranteed. Therefore, Lifeline lays out the maximum fees to be paid to Lifeline and is also here to support you as you take the next step in faith. There are many scholarships and potential tax credits available. For more help, visit our resources page.
Commonly Asked Questions
As you consider adoption, there may be many questions that come to mind. Take a look at some of our commonly asked questions below.
The top four reasons that a child is placed in foster care according to Child Protective Services (CPS) are: neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional maltreatment. This can include things like parental incarceration, parental death, parental hospitalization, homelessness, abandonment, and/or addiction. Children are in foster care through no fault of their own.
Click here to fill out our adoption interest form. After you complete this, you will have a welcome and orientation call with our Lifeline team. You will then begin the home study process and attend an in-person foster care adoption training. There will be a waiting period during the inquiry and matching phase. After matching, we will continue to provide support. For more details, click here.
A home study consists of several face-to-face interviews where we get to know your family and spend some time in education and preparation for the adoption process. Topics of discussion include your motivation to adopt, your childhood, your current marriage and family dynamics, parenting philosophies, etc. We will also collect supporting documentation including medical forms, background clearances, birth and marriage certificates, etc. There is also an emphasis on adoption education. We spend time discussing your understanding of various topics such as transracial adoption, birth parent ministry, attachment parenting, and more.
This is not an exhaustive list, but includes a few of the necessary qualifications for you to consider regarding foster care adoption:
- Background clearances
- Physical exams for household members
- Affirming references
- Minimum standards inspection
- Married for three+ years or single female
- Prepare and enrich marriage assessment
- Sufficient income to care for the addition of a child
- CPR/First Aid Certification
- Discipline agreement
- An autobiography
- 30 hours of pre-education
We offer holistic training and education services to prepare your family to adopt for a lifetime. We offer pre-and post-adoptive support care. Post-adoptive support care consists of visits and phone calls, adoptive parent education monthly webinars, access to our library of educational webinars, counseling, parent coaching, and Bridge Educational Support.
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James 1:27 identifies God's plan for the church. Lifeline exists to equip and mobilize the church to protect and care for the most vulnerable human life, children.
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