Foster
Adopt
Volunteer
The Center for Youth & Family Solutions Logo
Donate

Adoption

Menu

Adoption | ADOPT WAITING CHILDREN PROGRAM

Adopt Waiting Children Program

There are many children right here in the United States who need a forever family. Our Adopt Waiting Children (AWC) program is designed to help families prepare to adopt older waiting children currently in foster care.
Contact an adoption specialist

Children We Serve

Children in our AWC program generally range from age 7 through 17, have suffered abuse and/or neglect and need loving adoptive parents who have a passion for providing unconditional love and support.

Providing a Safe, Loving and Permanent Home

Families who adopt through our AWC program understand that each child will need to work through issues rooted in their past, and are willing to walk with them on that journey. By teaming with foster care professionals, this program brings together children who are legally free for adoption or nearing a legally free status with families who will provide a safe, loving and permanent home.
Contact an Adoption Specialist

The Process

The Center for Youth & Family Solutions strongly believes in assisting the prospective adoptive parent in making informed decisions regarding this adoption option. All AWC adoptions must comply with the Department of Children and Family Services’ requirements for foster care licensure and adoption.

Initial Interview

Our Adoption Specialists believe the best way to help prospective adoptive parents understand the experience of adopting an older child or sibling group begins with an in-person or virtual face-to-face meeting.Prospective adoptive parents will participate in an initial interview to discuss their intentions and options and to learn more about the process. From this point, if they believe the AWC program is a good match for them and if the Adoption Specialist believes the family would be a good adoptive resource for a child, they are invited to participate in a four-hour Parent Training Orientation.

Parent Training Orientation

The Parent Training Orientation provides education specific to the children referred to the AWC program. Topics covered include but are not limited to:

  • Program philosophy and goals
  • Childhood Grief and Trauma
  • Common Diagnosis of children who suffered early life trauma
  • Parent Support and Resources
  • The Center for Youth & Family Solutions’ Expectations and Covenant

Parent Training

Prospective adoptive parents who are ready to move forward will participate in the AWC Parent Training. This ten hours of group and individual interactive training helps prospective adoptive parents develop an understanding of the entire adoption process. During the training, you will have a chance to learn more about how to raise a child who has experienced trauma at an early age. You will have a chance to listen to others who have adopted through this program and learn from their experience too. These parent training sessions will provide:
  • Training surrounding the realities of children who enter foster care. This includes developing an understanding of the child’s journey through foster care, as well as legalities, time frames, resources and mandates regarding the foster-to- adopt experience.
  • Comprehensive education regarding the joys and challenges of adopting a waiting child. Topics to be covered include, but are not limited to, the adoptive process, finding a good fit, attaching, bonding, transitions to adoptive homes and preparing for the lifelong commitment of parenting.
AWC prospective adoptive parents are also required to participate in the State of Illinois FOSTER PRIDE classes for youth with specialized needs and The Center for Youth & Family Solutions Parent Skills Training. The Adopt Waiting Children Parent Training Curriculum has been approved by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

Placement

Once prospective adoptive parents have completed the AWC Parent Training, are issued a foster care license by the State of Illinois, and have an approved adoptive home study through CYFS, the AWC adoption staff begins consideration for placement selection. The process considers children placed in foster care with The Center for Youth and Family Solutions or another licensed child welfare agency in Illinois. When it is appropriate, the AWC program also can work with children who are placed out-of-state. The focus of the AWC program is on finding forever families for children, and as such, the matching process is child centered. Placement selection begins with identifying adoptive matches who best fit the child’s needs. To assist with this effort, the prospective adoptive parents may participate in a family team meeting involving the child’s foster care team, therapist, foster parents and the birth family in appropriate cases. The purpose of this meeting is to ensure the prospective adoptive parents understand the child’s past, present and future needs. It is the program’s expectation that, if a child moves into an AWC home, that will be their last move. This will be their forever family. To that end, prospective adoptive parents are encouraged to weigh their considerations regarding a selection very carefully. A child will be placed with their adoptive family for at least 6 months before the adoption team can recommend moving toward legal finalization. This post-placement period gives the child and the family time to adjust. During this transition, the foster care and adoption team will be assisting both the child and the family to ensure the success of the placement.

Finalization

After the six month post-placement period, the process of legal finalization begins when the foster/adoptive team, adoptive parents and the child are ready. The child and adoptive parents will be assigned an Adoption/Guardianship Permanency Specialist who will prepare the family and the child for legal and DCFS finalization. This includes: assessing the child and family’s transition; preparing for future needs of the child; handling the legal and DCFS paperwork, including subsidy and post adoption resource materials. This process can take from 4 months to a year, depending on the specific circumstances.

To learn more about adopting older children, visit Adopt US Kids, or the Child Welfare Information Gateway.

AWC Adoptive Parent Requirements

To be considered for The Center for Youth and Family Solutions Adoption Program applicants are required to:

Requirements:

  • Be either a single person or couple who have been together for at least one year.
  • Possess adequate support from family, friends and the community regarding their decision to adopt.
  • Be a stable, law abiding, responsible, mature individual(s) who is at least 21 years of age and capable of passing a child abuse/neglect and criminal background check.
  • Provide the names of family and unrelated individuals to attest to the applicant’s character.
  • Prove sufficient resources to provide basic necessities for themselves and the child(ren) to be adopted. It is strongly recommended that the applicant(s) have health and life insurance.
  • Have an understanding of their own sense of personal history, and how that helped form their values and beliefs about racial, cultural, religious and other similarities and differences.
  • Be committed to and capable of serving as a link between their child and their child’s birth family, regardless of differences.
  • Be in good physical health and agree to have this verified by a physical examination as part of the homestudy process.
  • Adopt Waiting Children prospective adoptive parents are also required to participate in the State of Illinois FOSTER PRIDE classes and The Center for Youth and Family Solutions Parent Skills Training. To be considered for children with specialized behavior or medical needs, prospective adoptive parents must take the CYFS Parent Skills Training and trainings specific to the needs of the child.
Please note applicant(s) who previously worked with another agency must be willing to sign a Release of Information.
Contact an adoption specialist
CYFS Adopt Waiting Children

Adoption Success Stories

Watch as three CYFS families share their story
“Adoption has given us the opportunity to be parents. After years of infertility, we were feeling hopeless in our pursuit of parenthood. However, through infant adoption, we have been beyond blessed as parents. We are thankful for our open adoption. While it can sometimes be a challenge, that relationship is one that can never be replaced.
- Karen and Jeremy, Bloomington -
“Prior to joining the Adopt Waiting Children program, we had been a waiting family for nearly four years in a different agency’s foster adoption program. We were so impressed with the knowledge and support of the entire AWC team. Our training was thorough and our workers listened carefully to us. It was clear by the quality of the match and the advocacy we received throughout the entire adoption process that the professionals assigned to our case had our family’s and our daughters’ best intentions in mind. Our adoption worker, therapists, and supervisor were so supportive! From our first potential placement telephone call to the first home visit to facilitating visits with our daughter’s biological siblings to the surprise placement of not just one, but two wonderful children in our home – we felt 100% prepared and nurtured by the capable AWC staff.”
- Alli and Dan, Rock Island -
“The Adopt Waiting Children Program gave me the family I was never going to have otherwise. The support I received from the adoption staff was awesome.”
- Michelle, Peru -
“The agency’s adoption workers and birth parent counselors do a wonderful job at helping everyone understand the adoption process. Our adoption worker was always available to listen and help us whether that was in the very beginning when we first were considering adoption or when we were placed with our daughter. The staff continues to support you even after your placement. They are truly committed to each child and each adoptive family.”
- Jim and Darcy, Ottawa -
“The experience we had with the staff at The Center for Youth and Family Solutions was wonderful. We were treated respectfully and always felt our worker listened and understood us. The waiting period can be challenging but the agency support groups and special events helped us learn more about adoption, develop relationships with other adoptive parents and use our waiting time to really prepare for our role as adoptive parents. We would recommend the agency to anyone considering adoption.”
- Grant and Susan, Peoria -
“We cannot say enough about CYFS! Our family collaborated with CYFS and welcomed twins home July 2021. The process was smooth, flexible and supportive. Adie, our Adoption Specialist, is amazing! She will forever hold a special place in our hearts and in our family. Adie was there every step of the way and made the process and transition one full of joy. If adoption has been placed on your heart, CYFS is an excellent agency to align with.”
- Austin and Jamie, LaSalle -
Donate

Adoption

Submitted!

Thank you for your interest in CYFS. You have been added to our newsletter contact list.