When it comes to child adoption in America, each state contains different guidelines and agencies. Regardless of state, however, adoptions may be either domestic or from other countries. Similar to many states, Indiana encourages those interested in qualifying for adoption to also apply for the license to foster.
When looking to adopt, many ask, why gain the license to foster, as well? Adopt US Kids, a project of the US Children’s Bureau that provides resources to help child welfare systems connect children in foster care with families, clarifies this recent approach called “dual licensing.” According to Adopt US Kids, some benefits of dual-licensing include:
- The recognition that most children adopted from child welfare are adopted by their foster parents
- Parents can gain experience parenting, particularly in cases where a child has experienced trauma
- The minimizing of number of home moves children must make
Indiana’s Daily News also acknowledges the need for foster parents in the state. In fact, the news outlet reports that thousands of Hoosier children are living without homes after being separated from their families. Many of these children are left homeless for a number of reasons, but often the situations are the result of tragic events. State officials encourage the community to consider foster parenting in the hopes that they may eventually agree to permanently adopt a child or siblings. Other child welfare organizations claim that misconceptions and negative portraits of what it means to be a foster parent are reflected in the 8,144 children that were reported living without homes as of December 2015. Yet officials attempt to debunk this myth on foster parenting by reaffirming that any level of influence or care can positively affect a child for life.
