Children do brighten the house. They’re bundles of love and joy that truly complete a family. Babies are milestones for couples, and it doesn’t need to be your flesh and blood that makes someone YOUR baby. It’s the love and connection that matters.
Adoption is such a divine option for lighting up both your life and another child. It’s a miracle indeed. For parents wanting to bring kids into their lives and for those who deeply care about young ones out there, they adopt to change the world. For people looking to experience parenthood in Missouri, here’s how to adopt legally.
Also Read: Casenet MO – Search Missouri State court records
Foster care and adoption in Missouri
Missouri does have quite the process of adoption, but they are in place for safety and protection for children who might have had a hard time and don’t need any more of it. But every minute of the process doesn’t look like anything when you see the bigger picture.
There are 2 options for people in Missouri: the foster care system and the other legal adoption. The foster care system means that minors are placed with an individual, family, or group as a temporary arrangement for care provision. The children here are there because their previous parents couldn’t provide for them, be it any reason.
Foster care can also turn into a permanent care process, adoption, having the child’s interest in time. After a cycle of fostering, the children can be adopted by the foster parents, sent back to their parents if they get better, or are put into an adoption home.
On the other hand, adoption is a legal procedure for anyone eligible to permanently take care of a child or young adult from an adoption home or orphanage usually. It’s a longer procedure for eligibility and parenting here because of the longer term of parenting.
To be an adoptive parent you must:
If you’re in Missouri and interested in adoption, there are some requirements you need to reach before considering:
- You need to be at least 21 years of age, owing to responsibility and maturity.
- One must attend and excel in a child abuse/ neglect check to ensure that their adoptive kids face no problems.
- One should have a clean criminal record and a stable income.
- You should also attend and complete the training process and successfully finish the following assessment.
Unlike the popular misconception, you don’t have to be married or have your own family. There’s no necessity for assets or properties owned. You only need a stable income, a house without surety to love, and an open heart to welcome children.
Also Read: Missouri Inmates Search at MODOC website
The Child Adoption Process Step by Step
Contact Children’s Division Office:
If you find yourself checking all the boxes, go ahead and look up the contact details for your nearest office and schedule a meeting for further steps.
Know more:
After you visit the center, you’ll be briefed about the services, challenges, and perks you’ll have and can get all your questions answered before the big decision.
Submit your application:
Once you’re sure you want to dip into adopting, you’ll be provided with an application form. Fill in all the necessary details and submit your form for assessment.
Background check:
To ensure the adopted child is protected, you’ll be put through a range of checks and screened for any criminal background.
Training:
Every adoptive parent needs to complete a Specialized Training, Assessment, Resources, Support and Skills (STARS) program for a prospective platform.
Along with that, there are 3 online training programs you’ll have to complete, including the Introduction to Foster Care, Informed Consent, and Consent to Treat Webinar.
Get licensed:
After you finish your training and assessments, you’ll get a certified license from the government for fostering children through the government.
Requirements
- An adoptive parent needs to understand that every child is different. They have different needs, different things that make them happy, and a different set of things that can upset them. As a parent, they need to love and nurture the child, no matter their differences.
- You need to protect and support your child through and through. One thing every child need is unconditional warmth and a feeling of home from you. While respecting the child’s needs, you also need to make sure that they’re comfortable and grow in a way that gives them happiness and are compassionate and responsible individuals.
- As a parent, your loved ones also need to love your child. You need to facilitate the connection and make sure that your kid is happy with everyone. After all, letting another person into your life includes letting them into the lives of people around you.
- During the STARS program, you’ll have to complete 4 home visits by the Resource Development worker of your child and make sure to discuss information, childcare, family situation, listening requirements, and any other important information to decide if
you’re ready for adoption. - You’ll also have to attend additional classes and understand versatility, compatibility and anticipate many ups and downs in your relationship. This is a sudden thing for the child to adapt to and needs all the help they can get to do so without forcing or burdening them to connect more.
- If there’s anyone with a healthy connection with your kid, you need to maintain a relationship with them and make sure he/ she doesn’t lose touch.
- Even though there’s no fixed amount needed for adoption, you’ll need a secure lifestyle and enough money to take care of another person.
- Most of all, you need willingness. Willingness to learn more, love more, adapt, support, and nurture another human. There’s no point in forcing people to be someone they are not. So every child needs to grow as who they are and not who you want them to be. So simply speaking, this will be an overall experience for development for you and your loved ones.
Conclusion
The star of the show is the child you’re adopting and not you. Everything you’re doing should be for their betterment and have no other intentions. For more information on legal adoption in Missouri, click here and begin your journey as a loving and providing parent.