Kansas foster care and adoption guidelines

Foster and adoption licensing requirements

All families interested in fostering or adopting in Kansas will need to complete an approval process that includes standard background checks, completion of a 10-week, 30-hour training course (TIPS-MAPP), and completion of a home assessment.

Families wishing to foster must also be licensed through the Kansas Department for Children and Families. More information can be found at the Adopt Kansas Kids website or by calling 855-236-7857 or 855-ADOPTKS.

Adopt Kansas Kids: Guide to foster or adoption (283 KB PDF)

Costs for fostering and adopting

There are typically little or no costs associated with becoming a foster or adoptive family. Foster families are provided with a modest monthly stipend to provide for the daily needs of the child. Medical care and other expenses are covered by the state. For families adopting, subsidy and financial aid programs (such as provisions for medical care) may be available to assist with the costs of caring for a child.

Agency contact and orientation information

More information about Kansas adoption can be found at the Adoption Kansas Kids website, or by calling 855-ADOPTKS.

To learn more about becoming a licensed foster home in Kansas, visit the Children’s Alliance website.

Adopt Kansas Kids: Child placing agencies (1.34 MB PDF)

Post-adoption support services

See a comprehensive list of post-adoption and guardianship support services and support groups available to families who live in Kansas.

Learn about supports available for adoptive families in Kansas:

Information on Kansas' children

There are more than 5,000 Kansas children in foster care, with just under 500 waiting to be adopted. Most children waiting for adoptive families are age 8 and above or part of a sibling group needing to be adopted together.

The children come from a variety of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. They are all in foster care after being removed from their home because of abuse and/or neglect. Parental rights have been terminated and it has been determined that they will be unable to return to their parents. Many of these children are hopeful for a family who will adopt them with their siblings. Most of the children have special needs.