Overview
The Department of Human Services administers Maryland’s Public Child Welfare Adoption Program in the state of Maryland. The program acts as a foster as well as an adoption program. The children are brought to a foster home due to abuse or maltreatment in their own homes. The department looks for permanent homes for these children some of which are adopted later by the same foster families.
Purpose and Scope of the Program
The basic purpose of the local department is to unite the children with their real, birth families. However, in some cases, the children are unable to go back to their real families. This could be due to abuse at home, poor family conditions, or unemployed parents who are unable to meet the children’s health and educational needs. In such cases, the department works with the foster family to adopt the child. For most families to adopt a child, it is important that the child first lives with them in foster care for at least twelve months.
It is the fundamental right of every child to live a life that makes him or her feel loved, cared for, and protected. This love, care, and protection can only come from having a stable family. Parents who look after you and provide all the support, guidance, and comfort that a child requires growing up. Many children living in the state of Maryland do not have a family that can provide them with shelter and all the affection that comes with having a family. These children have been deprived of the stability and safety of a family.
Finding Permanent Homes for Children in Foster Care
Through Maryland’s Public Child Welfare Adoption Program, the state looks for adoptive families for children who are currently living in foster care. The state looks for families that are diverse including families of color, with siblings, and families who are open to adopting kids with special needs. Families looking for adoption can contact the Department of Human Services. These are the government agencies for adoption working in the state of Maryland.
Adoption Process and Requirements
Sometimes adoption process can be complicated. For example, in some cases, children are unable to go back to their birth parents. The Maryland Public Child Welfare Adoption Program helps these children find a permanent place to call home. People they can call family, a place where they are well-treated and safe. In some rare cases, some children are given the label of “at-risk”. Children with this status cannot be adopted at that time. However, the government works towards making sure that the real or birth parent’s right is terminated so that they can be adopted. The child might not have to change foster homes. If the foster parents who might be the child’s prospective adoptive parents decided to take the risk of removing the child from his home. Once the child is legally free to be adopted, the foster parents can proceed with the adoption process.
Support and Assistance for Adoptive Families
The program also provides adoption assistance to support the child’s adoption process. This includes financial and medical assistance to the adoptive family. Families who adopt a child with special needs are provided with a monthly stipend to pay the child’s medical and healthcare expenses. Financial assistance is provided to the family once the child is placed with them. It continues after the adoption is legally finalized. You can go to your nearby social services department in your community to learn more about the program and the adoption assistance process.
Once the adoption is finalized and the child is placed with the adoptive family. The local department stops providing any further services as their responsibility ends there. However, several non-profit and public organizations will provide information whenever required. If you require any referral services or any other support services, you can always reach out to them.
Conclusion and Further Resources
Families who are interested in adopting a child need to follow certain steps. The first step is to find out a Local Department of Social Services office in your area. You can do this by visiting the Department of Human Services official website. A program representative will reach out to you and answer your queries regarding adoption and the program’s general eligibility requirements. The second step includes attending a meeting that is arranged by your local department of social services which is known as the Adoptive/Foster Parent Information Meeting. The meeting is important as it gives you information on how to become a legal adoptive or foster parent. Once you get connected with the LDSS office they will notify you about the further meeting. The third step involves attending pre-service training. This is a 27-hour compulsory training for all foster/adoptive parents.
To get more information via phone contact the DHS office at the following numbers: 1-800-332-6347 / 1-800-735-2258 (For TTY users). Visit Benefit by State for more insights and resources on adoption in Maryland.
