Adoption

Foster care is a temporary living arrangement and the goal is always to reunify children with their parents or other family members when safe. Foster parents assume care and responsibility for a child placed in their home, but the State maintains all legal guardianship. Sometimes, a child is unable to return home; it is then that the court terminates parental rights and the child becomes available for adoption. When adoption is finalized, legal responsibility and care are transferred from the State to the adoptive parents. Their lifelong commitment and responsibility are no less important than if the child was born to them.

The children available for adoption through Judson Center come from Michigan’s foster care system. Due to abuse, neglect, death, or abandonment, their parent’s rights have been terminated by the court. The children who wait range in age from 0-17 years old. Most are between the ages of 12-17.

The children available for adoption are residing in either foster homes, relative homes, hospitals, or residential facilities.

Any parent over 18 who has passed all requirements may be approved to adopt. We do not discriminate against any individual or group because of race, religion, age, national origin, color, height, weight, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, political beliefs, or disability.

Individuals seeking to become single parents are allowed to adopt children. Many children will thrive in a single-parent home. However, if you are legally married, you must adopt along with your spouse. Individuals who are separated cannot legally adopt as single parents in Michigan.

If you wish to adopt a child from Michigan’s foster care system, there is no fee for the completion of your family assessment. However, you will be responsible for court filing fees at the time an adoption is filed, which averages around $200, and for purchasing a new birth certificate which costs around $50.

The Adoption Subsidy Program provides financial support and/or medical subsidies for families adopting children from the foster care system. There is also financial assistance available for those who provide foster care. Support subsidy assists with the payment of expenses related to caring for and raising the child. Not all children will qualify for adoption subsidies. It is dependent upon each child’s individual needs.

Depending on your availability and willingness to complete paperwork and training promptly, we can usually complete your home assessment for adoption in about 90 days. Once a family has an approved home assessment for adoption, matching with a child may take anywhere from 3 months to over a year. The length of time varies based on how specific a family is about the type of child they wish to adopt. Once a family is matched with a child, the adoption process can take anywhere from three months to a year, depending on a variety of factors.

With hundreds of children available for adoption on the Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) website, the need is great. 80% of these children are over the age of 10. When it comes to adoptive families, the greatest need is for families who can say yes to at least one of the following questions:

• Are you willing to pursue the adoption of two siblings?
• Are you willing to parent a child with moderate or severe needs in any area?
• Are you willing to adopt a child over the age of 10?

There are many post-adoption resources such as support groups, therapy, crisis intervention, respite care, and referral services. Please visit the Post Adoption Resource Center (PARC)’s page to learn more about post-adoption resources.