Thank you for your National AdoptUsKids inquiry requesting information about becoming a foster or adoptive parent in the state of Oregon. There are hundreds of children needing safe and loving homes. This page provides some general information on foster care and adoption for your review.
Contact Information
The State of Oregon Foster Care and Adoption Information Line
1-800-331-0503
www.fosterORadopt.com
Para información en español, contacte:
Línea de Información Acerca del Cuidado de Crianza y La Adopción
1-800-331-0503
Licensing Requirements for Foster or Adoption
Who Can Adopt?
Since we are planning forever families for many different kinds of children, we are looking for families with many different kinds of strengths. We primarily seek strong, nurturing families who can develop an educated awareness of the special needs of these children. Families are sought on the basis of their abilities to successfully parent a child who needs a family, and not on the basis of their race, ethnicity or culture, income, age, marital status, religion, appearance, differing lifestyles or sexual orientation.
How Long Does The Adoption Process Take?
The initial adoption process generally takes four to six months to complete. The time it takes to be matched and have a child placed in your home is on a case-by-case basis.
Who can be a Foster Parent?
Foster families come in all shapes as sizes, just like children in foster care. DHS seeks stable, supportive homes to care for children who have been removed from their own homes. The majority of these children will eventually be placed back with their birth family or with a relative. Foster parents do not need to be stay-at-home parents, married or below any specific age. However, foster parents do need to be over 21-years-old and have a source of income to support themselves.
How Long Does Foster Certification Take?
The process generally takes between one and four months.
Does it Cost to Foster or Adopt?
Foster Care:
There are no fees for Foster certification.
Adoption:
There are no fees for adopting a child from Oregon foster care when you choose the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) as your agency.
The Special Needs Adoption Coalition is an organization of private agencies providing special needs adoption services in the state of Oregon. Each agency can provide a list of charges for their specific services.
Some private agency fees are reimbursable if you adopt a child from Oregon foster care.
Families can, and do, adopt children from other states and may be eligible for partial reimbursement of fees or of nonrecurring adoption-related costs through the child’s state and/or federal options.
Parent Support Groups
Department of Human Services regular support groups:
- Portland Metro Area
- Support group for adoptive families, pre and post-placement, meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at Room 1027 of Emmanuel Hospital. Call Janet Payne at (971) 673-2087.
- Support group for Washington County adoptive families, meets the 3rd Thursday of each month from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Beaverton DHS Child Welfare Office. Call Jennifer Ricks at (503) 646-7234, ext. 238.
- Eastern Oregon
- Support Group for foster/adoptive families, meets 1st Wednesday of each month from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Burns DHS Child Welfare Office. Call Cami Roy at (541) 573-2711.
- Western Oregon
- Adoptive & Foster Parents support group meets the 3rd Monday of each month from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Red Lion, McMinnville. Call Ann Coleman at (503) 864-3823.
- Adopting-Oregon's Kids ~ A-OK ~ Support Group meets the 4th Tuesday of the month from Noon - 1 p.m. at DHS, Human Services Building. Call Roberta Lincoln at (503) 947-5214.
Adoption Support Services regular support groups and non-profit pre and post-adoption resources:
- Adoption Connections of Oregon (ACO)
aco@peak.org or www.adoptionconnectionsoforegon.org
- Private, parent-led support group for adoptive families in Lane County area. For more information contact Elise Crum at (541) 345-4209.
- Adoption Mosaic
info@adoptionmosaic.org or www.adoptionmosaic.org
- Attachment Center of Central Oregon
attachco@aol.com or www.attachco.com
- Support & discussion group for parents of adopted children of any age meets 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month from 9:30-11am at Attachment Center of Central Oregon office in Bend. Group led by Lynne Herbert, LPC, LLC. Call (541) 389-5446 to pre-register.
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Consultation Education & training (FASCETS)
(503) 621-1271 or www.fascets.org
- Kinship House
(503) 460-2796 or www.kinshiphouse.org
- Support groups for parents caring for children with FAS/FAE, for adoptive families and for adoptive children.
- Support group for adoptive/foster parents meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Call Beth or Melissa.
- NW Adoptive Families Association, Inc. (NAFA)
(503) 243-1356 or www.nafaonline.org
- Support group for adoptive families-to-be meets 2nd Friday of every month at Legacy Emmanuel Hospital, 7-8:30 p.m. Group provides guidance, information, and support. For information contact Lee at leerball@aol.com.
- Support group for new adoptive families meets 3rd Saturday of every month at Legacy Emmanuel Hospital, 1-3pm. Contact Mary at ladiebug772001@yahoo.com or (503) 657-1431 for more information.
- Oregon Parent Training and Information Center (ORPTI)
1-888-505-2673 or www.orpti.org
Ofrecen asistencia en español: www.orpti.org/spanish.htm
- Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center (ORPARC)
1-800-764-8367 or www.orparc.org
Ofrecen asistencia en español: www.orparc.org/espanol/index.html
- Oregon Family Support Network (OFSN)
1-800-323-8521 or www.ofsn.org
- Relative, Adoptive, & Foster Family Team
(503) 761-4686 or www.pctheraft.org
- Ongoing Training and Support Meetings for Relative, Adoptive, and Foster families, meet every 3rd Saturday, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. at East Hill Church 701 Main, Gresham, Room A-15. Contact admin@pctheraft.org for more information.
Agency Contact and Orientation Information
View a directory of agencies at The Special Needs Adoption Coalition
Orientations and Trainings for 2010
Orientations:
(These orientation dates are tentative.)
Boys & Girls Aid in Portland from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
- February 9, 2010
- April 14, 2010
Christian Family Adoptions in Newberg from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.: Call 503.232.1211
- January 19, 2010
- February 23, 2010
- March 23, 2010
For families who have transferred from PLAN to Christian Family Adoptions, we are going to hold an additional orientation in January on the date that PLAN had scheduled: January 14th. To sign up and to learn more, please contact Beth Edens at bethe@christianfamilyadoptions.org.
Special Needs Adoption Coalition Pre-Adoption Trainings: take place on weekends.
(These training dates are currently tentative)
Boys & Girls Aid in Portland: Friday (evening), Saturday (all day), and Sunday (afternoon)
- September 25-27, 2009
- January 25-27, 2010
- March 5-7, 2010
- June 25-27, 2010
Christian Family Adoptions in Newberg: Friday (evening), Saturday (all day), and Sunday (afternoon)): Call 503.232.1211
- January 22-24, 2010
- March 26-28, 2010
For families who have transferred from PLAN to Christian Family Adoptions, CFA’s January training is the same dates as the January training that PLAN had scheduled. If you have questions about attending the January training after transferring from PLAN to CFA, please contact Beth Edens at bethe@christianfamilyadoptions.org.
Information on Children
According to a 2008 DHS report, on “any given day, 8,755 Oregon children are in foster care.” Among these children, around 400 are legally free for adoption and waiting for adoptive families.
The children in foster care who are already legally free for adoption are mostly school-aged or pre-school aged children. A few are under age two. Some are part of a sibling pair or group that need to be adopted together.
These children have suffered many losses, including the loss of their birth family. You may hear the expression “special needs” used to describe the children. Naturally, there is a very wide spectrum of “special needs” which can range from more severe needs (possibly including physical, educational, developmental, and or emotional needs) to simply the emotional “special needs” consistent with having been taken from their original home. This is why all children in state care are labeled as having “special needs.”
Upcoming Events
Please refer to the resources listed above to check for events as they are scheduled.