Thank you for showing interest in foster care and adoption within North Carolina. NC Kids is dedicated to guiding you through the initial steps and providing support throughout your fostering or adoption journey. Across our state, there’s a significant need for compassionate and capable foster and adoptive parents. When children enter foster care, the primary aim is to support families in overcoming challenges and facilitating a safe return home. However, in situations where reunification isn’t possible, adoption becomes a path to providing children with permanent, loving homes. To gain a deeper understanding of how children come into foster care and the qualifications for becoming a licensed foster parent, we encourage you to watch the Foster Parent Orientation video.
When reunification with their biological families isn’t achievable for a child, adoption emerges as a vital permanency option. Every child awaiting adoption deserves a ‘forever family’ to call their own. If you possess the desire to offer a secure and nurturing home to a child, coupled with patience and life wisdom to share, you might be the ideal parent for a child in need. Children currently waiting for adoptive families include:
- Children who have special needs, encompassing physical, intellectual, and emotional disabilities.
- Groups of siblings who need to stay together.
- Teenagers who are seeking family support and guidance.
- Children from minority ethnic backgrounds, particularly African American males.
For detailed information on becoming a foster or adoptive parent, answers to frequently asked questions, insights into the children who need foster and adoptive homes, and resources for existing foster and adoptive families, we invite you to explore this website and consult North Carolina’s brochure, “You Don’t Have to be Perfect to be a Perfect Parent,” accessible at the bottom of this page. These resources will provide valuable insights into Foster Care Programs and the adoption process.
Understanding NC Kids and Foster Care Initiatives
NC Kids plays a crucial role in assisting prospective families as they navigate the beginning stages of both foster care programs and adoption processes. We actively connect children who are in need of adoptive homes with potential families through several key services:
- Featuring profiles of children who are waiting for adoption on our website and the national Adopt US Kids platform. These online resources highlight children who are legally cleared for adoption and eagerly awaiting their forever families.
- Maintaining a comprehensive central database that includes children who are available for adoption and families who have expressed interest in adopting children from the foster care system. This database is vital for matching children with suitable families involved in foster care programs.
- Delivering matching services that connect waiting children with pre-approved families who are registered with NC Kids. This matching process is a critical component of effective foster care programs and adoption placements.
Furthermore, we are committed to offering a range of essential support services:
- Providing comprehensive foster care and adoption support services designed to assist families at every stage of the process. These services are integral to the success of foster care programs.
- Offering community outreach and support services focused on the recruitment and retention of foster and adoptive families. We also provide technical assistance to County Departments of Social Services and private Child Placing Agencies, enhancing the overall effectiveness of foster care programs across North Carolina.
NC Kids collaborates closely with agencies, children, and families, acting as a central resource and support system. It is important to note that NC Kids is not an adoption or foster care agency itself and does not make direct decisions regarding child placement. To assist you in selecting the right agency, we offer a guide with Recommended questions to ask when selecting a licensed child-placing agency for foster care and/or adoption.. Choosing the right agency is a significant step in engaging with foster care programs.
Essential Resources for Foster and Adoptive Families
Who Can Foster and/or Adopt
How to Foster and/or Adopt
Meet the Children
Post Adoption Support and Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
The North Carolina Heart Gallery
Get In Touch
For further details about foster care programs and adoption, please contact our hotline at 877-625-4371 or send us an email at [email protected]. We are here to help you explore how you can make a difference through foster care and adoption.
