Types of children who are available for adoption: Those whose biological parents parental rights have been terminated through the judicial process and children who have been voluntarily released by their parents.
This is a summarized list of the tasks you will need to complete along with your assigned Adoption Specialist before you can adopt an available child.

  

• Completion of an adoption application
• Completion of a Family Assessment
• Extensive Criminal History Clearances

   

The decision to parent a child that is biologically not your own is a very serious one. Many of these children have suffered from trauma and have endured repeated experiences of rejection and loss. Therefore, we need adoptive parents who have realistic expectations and who are fiercely committed to caring for a child.
The Adoption Specialists at Northeast Michigan Family Resource Center are able to provide a variety of supports and services to all families looking to open up their lives to an adopted child.

  

ADOPTION SERVICES PROVIDED BY NORTHEAST MICHIGAN FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER
• Orientation: An overview of our adoption program
• Access to GROW Training Sessions (Parent Resource Information Development Education) from Licensing Department
• Preliminary Family Assessment
• Initial Family Adoption Evaluation
• Placement Services
• Supervision of adoptive placements
• Referrals to community resources

  

COST
For those interested in adopting a child from the foster care system, contacting an Adoption Specialist is recommended. The only costs involved are the petition fee for the adoption and the fee for the new birth certificate, both of which may be reimbursed if qualified.

Special Needs can refer to:

• Older children
• Sibling groups
• Ethnicity
• Medical conditions
• Physical, emotional, or mental handicaps

  

Adoption subsidies are financial assistance to support any ongoing needs of the qualifying child.

• Home Inspection
• Evaluation of Applicant’s Health
• Visitation with the identified child to be adopted

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RESOURCES TO HELP YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS AND WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:

  

M.A.R.E. – The Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange is a listing of all of the children who are open for adoption in our state. The site also tells prospective foster and adoptive parents what they can expect during the licensure process.
Adopt Us Kids – This site offers an array of services to families including tips and resources to an extensive database of children in U.S. foster care available for adoption.
Department of Human Services – DHS Adoption According to the DHS website, there are nearly 3500 children in our state that are waiting for a “forever home.” The adoption section on their website serves to inform prospective adoptive parents about the process of adopting in Michigan.