Adoption and Fostering Info by State
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Scroll the below or use the drop-down menu to view adoption and fostering information and links for each state.
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Cherokee Nation
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Alabama
- To find out more about fostering in Alabama, read the Alabama Department of Human Resources introduction to foster care.
- To find out more about adopting in Alabama, read the Alabama Department of Human Resources introduction to adoption.
Alaska
- For information on how to become a foster or adoptive parent, contact the Alaska Center for Resource Families or visit the Office of Children’s Services website.
- Check out the Heart Gallery of Alaska to see children awaiting adoption.
Arizona
- Start your journey toward fostering or adopting with the Arizona Department of Child Safety.
- View the Arizona Children’s Heart Gallery.
Arkansas
- Resources can be found at the Division of Children & Family Services of Arkansas.
- Learn more about adopting and fostering, or apply to be a foster parent, with Every Child Arkansas.
- View the Arkansas Heart Gallery with Project Zero.
California
- Get more information from the Department of Social Services on fostering.
- Get more information from the Department of Social Services on adoption.
Cherokee Nation
Find resources and information related to becoming a certified foster or adoptive parent through Cherokee Nation Indian Child Welfare.
Colorado
- Learn about adoption from the Colorado Department of Human Services.
- CO4Kids is Colorado’s campaign to raise awareness of the need for foster and adoptive families in every community. Learn more about fostering and adopting.
- Visit the Colorado Heart Gallery.
Connecticut
- Visit the Connecticut Foster Care & Adoption Services website for more information.
- To learn more about children available for adoption, view the Connecticut Heart Gallery.
Delaware
- Learn about foster care through Delaware’s Division of Family Services.
- Learn about options for adoption in Delaware.
- Visit the Delaware Children’s Department Heart Gallery.
District of Columbia
Learn how to become a foster or adoptive parent through D.C.’s Child and Family Services Agency
Florida
- Learn about foster care options in Florida.
- Explore adoption through the Florida Department of Children and Families at adoptflorida.org
Georgia
- Visit the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services’ website, fostergeorgia.com
- Learn about adoption in Georgia.
Hawaii
- Learn about fostering in Hawaii
- State-licensed Agencies in Hawaii include Adopt International, Family Options, and A Family Tree
Idaho
Learn about child and family services and foster care through the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare.
Illinois
- For information about Illinois foster care see the DCFS website.
- For information about Illinois adoption see the DCFS website.
- View the Heart Gallery of Illinois.
Indiana
- Indiana foster care information from the Department of Child Services
- Learn about adoption with the Indiana Adoption Program
- Meet Indiana’s waiting children
Iowa
Iowa’s Department of Health and Human Services partners with Four Oaks Foster & Adoptive Connections to recruit and retain stable, nurturing, and diverse foster and adoptive families.
Kansas
- Learn about foster care services in Kansas.
- The Kansas Department for Children and Families works with Adopt Kansas Kids to place adoptive children with families.
Kentucky
Find information from the Kentucky Foster Adoptive Caregiver Exchange System (KY FACES) .
Louisiana
- Learn about foster parenting from the Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services
- Learn about adoption from the Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services
Maine
- Find information from Maine ‘s Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS).
- OCFS partners with Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine (AFFM) to provide support to resource and adoptive families.
Maryland
- Learn about foster care through the Maryland Department of Human Services
- Learn about adoption services through the Maryland Department of Human Services
- View the list of private adoption services licensed in Maryland
Massachusetts
- Learn about foster care from the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families
- Learn about adopting through Massachusetts DCF
Michigan
- Michigan’s Health & Human Services department works through Foster Care Navigator to answer questions about fostering and make child placements.
- Michigan’s Health & Human Services department runs the state adoption program through Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE)
Minnesota
- Learn about foster care through Minnesota’s Department of Human Services
- Learn about adoption through Minnesota’s Department of Human Services
- Visit the Reel Hope Project to learn more about Minnesota kids awaiting adoption
Mississippi
- Learn about foster care with the Mississippi Dept. of Child Protection Services
- Learn about adoption with the Mississippi Dept. of Child Protection Services
- Check out the Mississippi Heart Gallery
Missouri
- Learn about foster care and adoption through the Missouri Department of Social Services
- Meet the children looking for their forever homes in Missouri’s Adoption Heart Gallery
Montana
- Get info on becoming a foster parent in Montana with Montana’s Department of Health and Human Services
- Learn about adoption in Montana with Montana’s Department of Health and Human Services
Nebraska
- Learn about foster care through Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services
- Learn about adoption through Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services
- See children awaiting adoption in the Nebraska Heart Gallery
Nevada
- Learn about foster care through Nevada’s Division of Child & Family Services
- Learn about adoption through Nevada’s Division of Child & Family Services
New Hampshire
- Learn about fostering with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
- ADOPT NH is New Hampshire’s online tool for connecting foster children who are waiting to be adopted with their forever families.
New Jersey
Get info on foster and adoption services from New Jersey’s Department of Children and Families
New Mexico
- Learn about foster care options through New Mexico’s Children, Youth & Families Department
- Learn about adoption through New Mexico’s Children, Youth & Families Department
New York
- Learn about foster care with New York’s Office of Children and Family Services
- Learn about adoption with New York’s Office of Children and Family Services
- New York City has its own foster care and adoptive resources
North Carolina
Learn about adoption and foster care through North Carolina’s Child Welfare Services.
North Dakota
- Learn about foster care options with North Dakota’s Health & Human Services department
- Learn about the adoption program through North Dakota’s Health & Human Services department
Ohio
- To learn more, visit the official website for adoption and fostering in Ohio.
- View profiles of kids in Ohio awaiting adoption.
Oklahoma
Visit the Oklahoma Fosters Resource Center website for more information on adoption or becoming a foster parent in Oklahoma.
Oregon
- Find out about foster care through the Oregon Department of Human Services
- Find adoption info and resources through the Oregon Department of Human Services
Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services oversees the Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) for services in foster care and child adoption.
Rhode Island
- The Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) seeks to partner with families and communities to raise safe and healthy children and youth in a caring environment.
- Learn more about fostering and adoption in Rhode Island from DCYF
- Adoption Rhode Island is a private nonprofit organization whose mission is to create safety, belonging and permanency for adopted and foster children, vulnerable youth, and families through compassionate services, advocacy, and education.
South Carolina
- Get started with foster care info from the South Carolina Department of Social Services
- Learn about public adoption with the South Carolina Department of Social Services
South Dakota
- Find out about foster care opportunities with the South Dakota Department of Human Services
- Learn more about adoption opportunities with the South Dakota DHS
Tennessee
- Get details on Tennessee’s foster care program
- Explore adoption with Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services
Texas
- Learn about foster care in Texas through the Department of Family and Protective Services
- Learn about adoption in Texas through the Department of Family and Protective Services
- Additionally, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) manages the Texas Adoption Resource Exchange (TARE), which helps match children awaiting adoption with adoptive parents
- View children awaiting adoption in TARE’s Heart Gallery
Utah
- Utah Foster Care (UFC) fulfills Utah’s foster care needs through a contract with the Utah’s Division of Child & Family Services (DCFS)
- Utah’s Adoption Connection works in partnership with Utah’s Division of Child & Family Services (DCFS) to match children with adoptive families
- Check out Utah’s Adoption Connection’s Heart Gallery
Vermont
Learn about foster care and adoption in Vermont through the Department for Children and Families
Virginia
Get information about becoming a fostering or adoptive parent in Virginia with the Department of Social Services
Washington
- Learn about foster parenting in Washington through the Department of Children, Youth & Families
- Learn about adoption in Washington through the Department of Children, Youth & Families
West Virginia
- Learn about becoming a foster parent in West Virginia through the Bureau for Social Services
- Mission West Virginia recruits foster families and provides life skills education
- KVC West Virginia is a private, nonprofit child welfare organization that offers foster care and adoption, with the goal of enriching and enhancing the lives of West Virginia children and families
Wisconsin
- Learn about becoming a foster parent in Wisconsin from the Department of Children and Families
- Learn about paths to adoption in Wisconsin from the Department of Children and Families
- For more information on types of adoptions in Wisconsin, and how to become an adoptive parent, visit the Wisconsin Adoption Information Center
- The Foster Care and Adoption Resource Center (FCARC) offers a variety of resources for both foster care and adoption
Wyoming
- Learn about foster care and foster care training with the Wyoming Department of Family Services
- Learn about adoption through the Wyoming Department of Family Services