Adoption in the State of Alaska
Welcome to adoption information for the State of Alaska. We hope this website provides you with enough basic information to help you move forward with your plans for adoption in Alaska.
1. Introduction
2. Frequently asked questions about adoption
3. Links to related web sites
Introduction
In Alaska the Department of Health and Social Services, Office of
Children's Services (OCS) is responsible for the State's foster care program. Children are placed in foster care for a wide variety of reasons. For many of the children placement into foster care provides a good temporary home. While most of these children return home, a small percentage of children entering state foster care are not able to return home or to live with a relative. If parental rights are relinquished or terminated by the courts, these children may become available for adoptive placement.
Families must have an approved adoption homestudy to be considered for an adoptive placement. If you have an approved homestudy and are searching for an Alaska special needs child, please review the children from Alaska listed with the NWAE. Also, if you are an Alaska resident and are not already registered with the Alaska Adoption Exchange, please go to www.akae.org to learn more about this option.
Frequently asked questions about adoption
Who are the children and what are their special needs?
All of the children needing adoptive families share one common denominator: they have been separated from their birth parents. Therefore, they have all suffered a major loss. Many have moved more than once in foster care, experiencing more than one loss. Some were born to mothers who used alcohol and/or other drugs. Some are members of a sibling group that needs to be placed together. They are of all ages, races, and ethnicities. Many have some form of physical or emotional problem. Many have also experienced neglect or some form of physical or sexual abuse. Some are legally free (birth parents' legal rights have been terminated or relinquished) and others are in the legal process of being freed. Most are in foster care. We use the term "special needs" to refer to these adoptive placement characteristics and circumstances.
What is a "homestudy" and where do families go to get one done?
An adoptive homestudy is really a process by which the homestudy writer gets to know the prospective adoptive family through a series of interviews. This process results in a written document that assists the child’s social worker with making the adoptive placement decision for a waiting child. Additionally, the "homestudy" is filed with the court previous to an adoption. During the homestudy, the homestudy writer gathers information about the family including: personal histories, health and financial statements, personal references and criminal background checks. In some more populated areas of the state, foster and adoptive parent orientation and preparation classes are available.
An adoptive homestudy is a separate document from a foster home license. If a foster family is in the process of adopting a foster child, they must have an adoptive homestudy done in addition to their foster home license. A family who wants to have a child with a "legal risk" placed with them may get their foster home license first but must also have an adoptive homestudy completed.
In Alaska adoptive homestudies may be done by OCS staff, private agencies, tribal organizations, and independent homestudy writers. Families who want a study completed can call the nearest OCS office and ask to be referred to the Regional Adoption Specialist. Or families can call the OCS State Office Adoption Unit in Juneau at (907) 465-3286 and ask for a listing of agencies and/or independent homestudy writers. The cost of having a homestudy done varies, but fees for adopting a child through OCS are not exorbitant. Families should inquire about fees when they contact an agency or an independent homestudy writer. Families who are adopting a child from the foster care system should keep receipts of expenses related to their adoption (homestudy fees, legal fees). If they and the child are found eligible for the Adoption Support Program, some of these expenses might be reimbursable.
How am I "matched" with a child?
Alaska's adoption program focuses on finding adoptive families for waiting children. Alaska's
OCS workers have access to a listing of families registered with the Alaska Adoption Exchange. These are families that have completed the adoption homestudy process and are registered with the exchange and waiting for a placement. Many of the families are also licensed for foster care so they can be available for the placement of a child who is not yet legally free for adoption.
OCS workers can turn to this pool of waiting families to select a family for a child that is waiting for placement.
Families and workers begin a process of sharing information with each other in an effort to determine the feasibility of the placement. Families may indicate their willingness to accept or reject a placement, however, it is the child's worker that ultimately must make placement decisions for the child.
Adoptive families may also be proactive participants in their search for a child by reviewing profiles on available waiting children and indicating their interests in particular children. Local OCS staff have the Alaska Adoption Exchange Photolisting Book of waiting children. They may also have photolistings of children available through the Northwest Adoption Exchange. Profiles of Alaska's waiting children are also available on the Northwest Adoption Exchange Internet website (www.nwae.org) and on the Alaska Adoption Exchange website (www.akae.org).
Are there any financial resources to help me to provide for my adopted child?
Federal and state laws do provide for some financial resources to assist in raising an eligible special needs child from the state foster care system. These benefits come in the form of Adoption Subsidy from the state. An Adoption Subsidy agreement for an eligible child with special needs must be entered into prior to finalization of an adoption. If you are contemplating a placement from another state, that state must enter into the Adoption Subsidy Agreement. Check with the state agency regarding this program.
A reimbursement of no more than $2,000 may also be available to adoptive parents after the adoption is final for eligible children. This reimbursement is for "nonrecurring" adoption related expenses, such as attorney fees. Check with the state agency for more information about this program.
Federal income tax incentives may also be available for adoption of a child with special needs, see www.casey.org/cnc/taxbenefits.html for valuable information. Please check with the Federal Internal Revenue Service or your personal income tax consultant for additional information about this benefit.
What if I need help after my child is adopted?
A good resource for an adoptive family is an adoptive parent support group. Become an active participant in your local adoptive parent support group or form a group if none exist in your area. Post adoption services have become a growing topic on local and national levels. The Internet has opened new possibilities with bulletin boards and chat rooms specifically for adoptive families with questions about how to best work with the children in their care.
Adoption is a lifelong journey. It begins once the placement is made and lasts throughout your lifetime. Acceptance of this philosophy dictates that you remain an active participant in the adoption arena as a teacher and as a student.
Links to Related Websites
State of Alaska, Office of Children's Services - www.hss.state.ak.us/ocs/adoptions/default.htm
Alaska Federation of Nations - www.nativefederation.org/flash.html
Alaska Foster Parent Training Center - www.afptc.org
Alaska Tribal Entities - Bureau of Indian Affairs www.doi.gov/bia/
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - Alaska Health and Social Services www.hss.state.ak.us/fas/
Nancy Ashe's guide to Adoption Resources - adoption.about.com/library/states/blpro_ak.htm
Census Data - Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development - almis.labor.state.ak.us/
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