Age gap requirement in adopting from Foster care?
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Age gap requirement in adopting from Foster care?
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I was just curious if anyone knows the "general" age gap requirement for adopting from foster care. Meaning, how much older than the child do you have to be.
I'm asking for a couple different reasons.
#1. I am considering adoption, as I would like a family, and I know I will never have my own children biologically. I was browsing the foster care adoption page, just out of curiosity one time, and found a 15 year old girl who was (due to her past background) actually requesting a single mom.. and her dream is to be adopted by someone who will allow her to have animals, because she's crazy about them. I couldn't help but go "wow" Because I'm single and love animals.. BUt I'm only 28 and can't quite picture myself going from single to mom of a teenager.. and I understand there's age gap requirement..
#2. as someone else said in a post I saw this morning, the anti-adopts judge APs for adopting infants and toddlers and not the older children from foster care. What if they're not ABLE to because of the age gap requirement?? Should they be judged for wanting a family before they're in their 40's?? this is a sensitive subject for me because there are MAJOR age gaps in my family (33 years between mom and I, and 46 years between her and her mother... this means I was only 11 when grandma died at age 90.) So I've seen first hand the "disadvantages" of these age gaps (no grandparents) and can sympathize with my (and others') desire to have a family when they're young.
I was wondering if anyone knew a general "rule of thumb" about the required age gap between adoptive parents and the child they wish to adopt?? I realize it'll be different for every state, but I assume most states have a general "rule of thumb" that are pretty much around the same ballpark (I'm guessing anywhere from 15-20 years.)
Just curious...
If I'm right.. wouldn't it be best to not judge people for adopting younger children? Personally, I think it's best to start a family at 22-28 years of age. If I'd found "mister right" I might have tried adopting sooner myself...
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Wow.. thought it would be more than that!! Part of me thinks a 15-20 year age gap is better, but I'm glad for the kids who need families, that there is a bigger group "Eligible" to adopt them.
I still couldn't see myself going from single to single mother of a teenager at my age LOL.. I still LOOK like a teenager.. but who knows!
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LaurieDB
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Indeed, it is generally 10 years, with exceptions allowed in certain cases. Here is California's (where I live) statute:
8601. (a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (b), a
prospective adoptive parent or parents shall be at least 10 years
older than the child.
(b) If the court is satisfied that the adoption of a child by a
stepparent, or by a sister, brother, aunt, uncle, or first cousin
and, if that person is married, by that person and that person's
spouse, is in the best interest of the parties and is in the public
interest, it may approve the adoption without regard to the ages of
the child and the prospective adoptive parent or parents.
You can go here http://adoption.about.com/od/adoptionlawsbystate/Adoption_Laws_by_State.htm to check the adoption statutes for all states.
Because it's only 10 years, a person in her 20's can still adopt a child who's not an infant. At 28, a PAP is already at the age where the range would allow that the child would be aging out. |
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LOJunkie
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Most states only require that an adoptive parent be 10 years older than the child they adopt. Some states will waive this rule depending on the situation. |
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RPMR
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I recently adopted my son through the foster system! He is 3 yo and I am 23! BUt I have asked the agency if I could adopt a 15 yo (8 years apart) and they told that the need for adoptive parents for older children is so great that this could possibly happen! I live i TX and the agency is the Children's Shelter! San Antonio. |
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1234
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exceptions are always made!! All you need to do is take the classes and see what happens next if it is ment to be it will happen. |
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