Youth Adoption & Permanency Services
Adopt an older child or teenager in Arizona
Our Youth Adoption & Permanency Services team is dedicated to identifying adoptive homes and permanency for vulnerable youth, specifically older children and adolescents. We collaborate with the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) toward our shared goal of finding every adoptable child and teenager in Arizona a safe, permanent place to call home.
There are close to 9,900 children in the Arizona foster care system.
2,000 children are waiting to be adopted.
After the age of 7, children are half as likely to be adopted.
This page has plenty of information about how you can help these youth through adoption and permanency. Read it all, or jump to a specific section…
Table of Contents
- Adoption and Permanency
- Why Adoption?
- Why Permanency?
- Adoption Stories
- Get Started
- Adoption
- Permanency
- Let’s Connect
You can also register for a FREE information session to learn more about adoption and permanency from experienced CFC staff.
Adoption and Permanency
When children enter foster care, the ideal outcome is for them to be reunited with their biological family. However, many children who enter the foster care system cannot return home and need a stable home and family, through adoption or other permanency arrangements.
Adoption is…
- The legal transfer of all parenting rights and responsibilities from the biological parent to a new parent (Arizona DCS).
- An opportunity for vulnerable youth who come from traumatic places to find the safe, compassionate, caring home they deserve.
- An important ministry that helps us create a world in which every child is loved and nurtured in a Christ-centered environment.
Permanency is…
- Another option for providing youth in the foster care system with a safe place to call home.
- Mainly achieved through Permanent Guardianship (Title 8). Learn more about guardianship here.
- Also achieved through other long-term commitments to children in foster care.
- An opportunity for at-risk youth to have a secure home base, and to experience stability, consistency, and Jesus’ love.
Attend a FREE information session to learn more about adoption and permanency from our knowledgeable team.
Why Adoption?
Adoption is the most permanent way to give children and adolescents in foster care a safe, loving, nurturing home. Once adoption is finalized by the court it cannot be revoked, and the adoptive parents become the legal parents, with all rights and responsibilities for the adopted child.
The longer youth are in the foster care system, the less likely they are to find an adoptive home–children’s chances of being adopted decrease by 50% after age seven. Many children and teenagers in foster care start to lose hope that they will ever meet their adoptive family.
When you partner with Christian Family Care to adopt, you help us create a future in which every child is loved and nurtured in a Christ-centered family. Commit to adopting an older child or teen and show them a beautiful and wonderful demonstration of God’s goodness, love, and promise.
Diaz Family Adoption Story
Attend a FREE information session to learn more about giving vulnerable children and teens a home through adoption or permanency.
Why Permanency?
Becoming a Permanent Guardian for a child or teenager is another way to give them a “home base.” Though Permanent Guardian does not have the full legal rights of an adoptive parent, they take over the day-to-day rights and responsibilities of a parent. Guardianships may be revoked by a judge, but only after the biological parent brings the case to court and proves that returning to their care is in the best interest of the child.
Permanent Guardians help provide safe, loving, nurturing homes for the 2,000 children and teens in the foster care system who are looking for a place to belong, while allowing for the possibility of reunification. Becoming a Permanent Guardian is a truly selfless way to share God’s love with vulnerable youth in Arizona!
If you are interested in giving a child or teen permanency through Permanent Guardianship, you can get started on the DCS website. While you complete the guardianship process, we recommend checking out our adoption and foster care support resources, as much of the information might be helpful to you!
Meet Adoptable Kids and Teens
Get to know the Arizona youth who are working with DCS and CFC to find loving, nurturing homes.
Adoption Stories
Get to know the Arizona youth who are working with DCS and CFC to find loving, nurturing homes.
Get Started
Adoption
We recommend attending one of our free information sessions to get started with adoption! You can also watch the video below to learn more about the adoption process…
Permanency
We recommend checking out the DCS website to get started with Permanent Guardianship!
Let’s Connect
If you aren’t quite ready to attend an information session, or if you have worked/are working with Arizona DCS, please fill out the form below and a member of our Youth Adoption & Permanency Services team will get back to you!
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