319.291.6161 | 3112 Brockway Road, Waterloo, Iowa

4 Steps to Finalize Your Foster Care Adoption in Iowa

4 Steps to Finalize Your Foster Care Adoption in Iowa

You have completed your home study, met all of the state requirements to adopt a foster child, and have connected with a foster child who is eligible for adoption. You are ready to make this child an official member of your family — all you need is a trusted, experienced adoption attorney to help you finalize your foster care adoption in Iowa.

If you are ready to take the next step to complete your family and provide a foster child with a permanent home, Nelson Law Firm can provide all of the services and support you need to finalize your adoption.

How to Adopt a Foster Child in Iowa

Foster care adoption involves the adoption of a child who is currently in the Iowa foster system and whose biological parents’ rights have been legally terminated. If a kinship placement cannot be found for a child who is eligible for adoption, the child’s foster parents are often given first opportunity to adopt the child. These are called foster-to-adopt placements.

Other families who have not served as foster parents choose to adopt a waiting child who is eligible for adoption. Once a family has found an adoption opportunity and the state has terminated the parental rights of the child’s biological parents, the family should work with an experienced attorney to legally finalize the adoption.

Nelson Law Firm can provide all of the services and support you need to legally complete your adoption from foster care, including:

  • filing an adoption petition with the court.
  • guiding you through Iowa post-placement requirements.
  • arranging and attending a finalization hearing to complete the legal adoption process.
  • and more.

Families who adopt from foster care in Iowa are eligible for reduced attorney’s fees, making foster child adoption one of the most affordable ways to grow your family. Nelson Law Firm can help you understand the Iowa adoption subsidy and ensure you are receiving this financial assistance.

Every foster child’s story is different, and every adoptive family has different needs. Nelson Law Firm will tailor the adoption process to fit your circumstances and ensure your adoption is completed safely and legally.

How Adopting from Foster Care Can Benefit Your Family

At times, adopting through foster care may seem like a long, emotional, and demanding journey. But hundreds of happy Iowa families are built through foster care each year, and their foster care adoption stories prove that the benefits are worth it. Adopting a foster child:

  • is one of the most inexpensive forms of adoption.
  • allows you to add to your family and provide a child with a safe, stable, loving and permanent home.
  • involves shorter wait times than many other forms of adoption.
  • and much more.

Whether you are considering foster care adoption in Waterloo, Grundy Center, Cedar Falls, or anywhere else in the state of Iowa, Nelson Law Firm can provide the services you need to complete your family and provide a foster child with the permanence he or she deserves.

To learn more about foster care and adoption in Iowa, contact us today to schedule a consultation or visit the Iowa Department of Human Services.

Share This