Hawaii Foster and Adoption Guidelines

Thank you for considering providing a foster or adoptive home for a child in foster care. We are happy to assist you in your journey to become a foster or adoptive parent.

The role of foster families is to nurture the development of children by supporting birth family connections. This may include:

• Supporting reunification with birth parents
• Facilitating permanent placement with relatives
• Providing transportation for, and supervision of, visits with birth parents or relatives

The role of adoptive families includes supporting the overall health and well-being of children by collaborating with the team responsible for addressing children’s needs, including:

• Providing transportation to activities and appointments
• Being involved in education planning
• Supporting children’s connection to their ethnic, cultural, and religious heritage

Contact Information

• Katie Joosse (información en español)
  Email (Correo Electrónico): kjoosse@familyprogramshi.org
  Local Phone (Teléfono): 808-540-2552
   

Things You Should Know

• Foster and Adoption Licensing Requirements
• Costs to Foster and Adopt
• Agency Contact and Orientation Information
• Parent Support Group Contacts
• Foster Youth Support
• Information on Hawaii's Waiting Children

Foster and Adoption Licensing Requirements

The minimum qualifications for foster and adoptive parents are:

• Have sufficient income to cover your financial needs
• Have the ability to provide a safe, loving, supportive environment for foster and adoptive children
• Pass required FBI background clearance, State criminal history clearance (for all states resided in for the past five years), and child abuse and neglect registry check
• Complete the preservice training and the homestudy process
• Have sufficient space in the home and meet all other licensing criteria, according to State law

Read the Hawaii Department of Human Services website for more information about becoming a foster or becoming an adoptive family in Hawaii.

Costs to Foster or Adopt

Normally, fostering or adopting is almost free with one exception: If a family completes the general licensing requirements to be a Department of Human Services foster or adoptive family and does not provide foster care services and requests a release of the department's home study to a private agency, the department will require a payment of $1,000 prior to releasing the home study. The payment is to partially reimburse the department for the costs of the training, clearances and the home study assessment.

Agency Contact and Orientation Information

To become a General Licensed foster or adoptive family in the state of Hawaii

• Family Programs Hawaii
  Email: kjoosse@familyprogramshi.org
  Local Phone: 808-540-2252
  Address: 250 Vineyard Street, Honolulu, HI 96813

To provide foster care or an adoptive home for a specific child, contact the child’s social worker

• The Hawaii Department of Human Services
  See your local phone directory for the social worker’s unit’s phone number.

To adopt a child from the Department of Human Services, with support specific to faith-based values

• Hope I.N.C.
  Email: hopeinc@hawaii.rr.com
  Phone: 808-230-2445
  Fax:808-668-9251
  Address: 87-669 Manuaihue St., Ma`ili, HI 96792

Parent Support Groups

Foster Youth Support

Information on Hawaii's Waiting Children

Many children in foster care are part of a sibling group. All are from a diversity of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. There are 2,766 children in foster care in Hawaii; 878 of these children are waiting for adoptive families.