How Much Do Foster Parents Get Paid Per Child?

The average cost of adoption in the United States is $36,200. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this can be much higher for special needs children. A study released in 2017 by the University of California, San Diego, shows that the average adoption fee for a child with a disability is $102,788.

In an effort to provide more funding for families who adopt special needs children, a Connecticut-based nonprofit called Simsbury, CT, has launched a campaign to raise money for foster parents. The organization offers a variety of resources for foster parents to help with the costs of raising children, including financial counseling and adoption assistance.

Simsbury provides support to parents for about two years after they bring a child into their home. The organization then helps connect them with adoptive parents and assists them in the adoption process. Foster parents can get help paying for everything from car repairs to education expenses.

 Can Foster Parents Adopt The Child They Are Fostering?

Foster parents who want to adopt the children they are fostering can apply for a license to do so through the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) within 30 days of the child’s birth. The agency then conducts home visits to determine whether or not the foster parent is capable of caring for a child. If the foster parent is approved, he or she must be fingerprinted and undergo a background check.

The DCF is also required to notify the biological parents and grandparents of any children in the system, regardless of whether they are adopted. There is no requirement that a foster parent be an adult, but DCF encourages them to be. The foster parent must be 21 years old or older and a legal resident of the state for at least a year.

If a biological parent requests that the foster parent adopt the child, the biological parent is given priority for placement of the child. However, the foster parent cannot be forced to adopt the child, and the child has the right to request that the biological parent be permitted to adopt.

Simsbury is the only agency in Connecticut that offers a license for foster parents to adopt children. The agency has fostered more than 1,000 children since the start of the program in 1978.