Foster Care

Foster care adoptions come through a public agency, such as the Department for Children and Families (DCF) through the Child Welfare Case Management Providers, a private contractor responsible for finding homes for children who do not have another adoption resource available. Once a child has been removed from his or her home, DCF will place the child into a foster home. If the situation is not resolved and the child is not returned to his or her family, the State will begin court proceedings to terminate the parents' rights. If DCF maintains custody, the child will frequently be placed for adoption with the foster parents who have cared for them.  The adoption thereafter proceeds by filing the Petition for Adoption and navigating the court system until the adoption is finalized, similar to the private agency adoption.