The adoption process ensures that the child matches your family's strengths and needs.
To adopt a child in Tennessee, you have to be at least 18 years of age and you must have lived for at least six months in Tennessee at the time you file the Petition for Adoption. You will need to contact the Department of Children's Services or a licensed child-placing agency to fulfill state requirements and to locate a child that matches your family. Depending on the agency, you might have to wait for a few months or even a few years for a placement.
Parents as Tender Healers
If you choose to adopt through the Department of Children's Services, you must complete a course called Parents as Tender Healers (PATH). PATH consists of 30 hours of education and self-assessment, during which you learn about communication styles, the struggles that adopted children typically face and the strengths of your family. Through this process, you learn to identify the child who you can care for.
Home Study
A licensed child-placing agency will conduct a home study of your family. An adoption counselor gathers information about your family to determine your family's suitability to adopt. You will need to provide medical and financial information, criminal background check results and reference letters. You also fill out questionnaires regarding infertility, marriage, parenting and adoption. You discuss the type of child who you feel will fit with your family, during your sessions with the adoption counselor. The child-placing agency will match you with a child.
Court Procedures
After placement, a court must finalize the adoption to make it official. You file a Petition for Adoption, after which the court sends a licensed clinical social worker to make follow-up in-home visits. The court reviews the results of the home study and a final court report prepared by the licensed clinical social worker. The court holds a hearing at least six months after you file the Petition for Adoption, during which it finalizes the adoption.
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