New Hampshire Foster and
Adoption Guidelines

Interested families should contact the New Hamphsire Department of Health and Human Services for information about adoption and foster care.

Contact Information
Ann Abram
603-271-4711
aabram@dhhs.state.nh.us

Things You Should Know

• Foster and Adoption Licensing Requirements
• Costs to Foster and Adopt
• Agency Contact and Orientation Information
• Parent Support Groups
• Information on New Hampshire's Waiting Children
   

Foster and Adoption Licensing Requirements

Whether you plan to look into adoption or foster care, applicants will need to attend the 21 hour “FACES” training class series and the additional three-hour FACES to Faces Celebration class. Each class is three hours long and offered in the evenings. Sometimes, they are doubled up on Saturdays and occasionally, a daytime class series is offered. View FACES foster parent training information and course schedule.

Adoption Qualifications

You could make a wonderful adoptive parent if you:

• Are at least 21 years old
• Are single, married, divorced or widowed
• Own or rent
• Have parenting experience or none at all
• Already have children in your home or not

If you meet these basic qualifications then you're off to a great start!

More foster care and adoption information.

The Foster Process in Brief

People just like you look into and become foster or adoptive parents every day. When you attend required training classes, you will meet some of these people and hear their stories.

Your foster care worker will help you learn more about fostering and adoption and guide you through the process.

Costs to Foster and Adopt

None.

You will pay for fingerprinting when you complete your background check, but you will be reimbursed when you become licensed to foster or adopt.

Agency Contact and Orientation Information

For more information, please visit the website of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human services.

Parent Support Groups

Foster and adoption support groups are available in most of the 12 areas of the state where the State Division of Children, Youth, and Familues has offices. These can be accessed through the the division foster care worker covering your area. Please call or email for more information.

You can also learn more from the State Foster and Adoptive Parent Association website.

Information on New Hampshire's Waiting Children

As of June 30, 2010, the number of children in out-of-home care was 715 and the number of children waiting to be adopted was 77.

The children in New Hampshire’s public child welfare system range in age from birth to 18.