New Hampshire Foster and
Adoption Guidelines

• Contact Information
  

  Department of Health and Human Services
  Contact: Ann Abram
  Email: aabram@dhhs.state.nh.us
  Phone: 603-271-4711

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 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

View a list of licensed child placing agencies, including the State Division for Children, Youth, and Families.

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

There are 1,178 children in foster care in New Hampshire; 272 of these children are waiting for adoptive families.

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