Over 114,000 children are waiting in the United States foster care system for a family to call their own.  A New Beginning’s goal is to recruit families and provide them with the adoption education and support needed to have a healthy and successful adoptive placement.

General Requirements:

Adoptive parents must be at least 25 years of age or 15 years older than the child they hope to adopt.  Applicants may be either single or married.  Married applicants must be married for at least 2 years at the time of application into the program.  Children currently residing in the home must be at least 6 years old.

Services Provided:

1. Home Studies - Please note: A New Beginning does not accept Certified Adoption Professional (CAP) home studies.
2. Education
3. Networking and searching for children nationwide.
4. Support throughout the selection process.
5. Agency Counselors to address attachment and transition issues.
6. Post placement support for children, parents, and siblings.

Who are the waiting children?

The children who wait are often the survivors of abuse and neglect. They range in age from 2 – 18, and sometimes they are alone or sometimes they have brothers and sisters.  There are children of all races and children with disabilities.  These children live in a series of foster and group homes for an average of four years. There they wait while they hope for the stability and love of a permanent, adoptive family.

Training Requirements:

The caseworkers for these special children are looking for adoptive parents that are prepared to adopt and who have had extensive pre-adoptive education.  They are looking for families that have a good understanding of the resources in their community and that have a strong support system.  Because of this, A New Beginning provides extensive pre-adoption training for all of our families.  Our families will receive from extensive hours of in-person, pre-adoptive training which sets them apart from other families and prepares them for a successful adoption experience.  The classes provided by A New Beginning include:

1. Footsteps to Adoption: This is a seven hour orientation that discusses the foster/adoption process, understanding how to read a child’s on-line profile, what a selection committee is, how to identify and access community resources, developing a transition plan for the child from their foster family to their adoptive family, various special needs, and the importance of post adoption support.
2. Pre-Adoptive Family Training: This is a 5 hour class that addresses transcultural adoption, grief and loss, attachment, and drugs and alcohol.
3. Family Age:  This 3-hour class addresses child development and the bonding and attachment process.

Post Adoption Support

We are fortunate to have 2 Clinical Social Workers at A New Beginning.  These Social Workers are able to review your child’s file before they arrive in your home and assist you in developing a service plan to meet the needs of your child.  They are also available to provide counseling, crisis intervention, and community referrals as needed.