Frequently Asked Questions

No, there are no fees to work with Bright Futures Adoption Center to adopt a foster child.

The average time frame from beginning MAPP training to having a child placed in your home is typically 6 – 12 months.

MAPP training and the home study each take about 10 weeks and then it will take some time to find the right match child for your family.

There are many factors that affect the total time frame, including how promptly you return the home study paperwork and schedule meetings with your social worker, the type of child you are seeking, your comfort with legal risk etc.

When you adopt a child from foster care in Massachusetts, you have the option of working directly with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) or with a private adoption agency like Bright Futures Adoption Center that has a contract with DCF.

When you work with Bright Futures Adoption Center you have access to all of the same children as you would if you work directly with DCF and have the benefit of working with social workers who have smaller case loads and can be more responsive to your needs.

We provide MAPP training, complete your home study, help you identify a child who is a good fit for your family and provide counseling and support while you are transitioning your child into your home, while you are adjusting to becoming a larger family and in the future as needs arise for you and your child.

The answer to this question depends on your child’s specific situation.

In many cases, the parental rights of the child’s biological parents have already been terminated and the child is legally free for adoption before the child is transitioned into your home.

In these situations, the child is very unlikely to leave your home (there are some very unusual circumstances where a previously unknown relative expresses interest in the child very late in the process).  A child needs to reside in your home for a minimum of six months before the adoption can be legally finalized.  When the adoption is legally finalized, there is no longer any risk that the child can leave your home.

In some cases, the child’s biological parents’ rights have not yet been terminated by the court when a pre-adoptive family is being sought for the child.

In situations like this we will help you assess the risk (which is based on the facts of the situation) and figure out if this is a good match for your family.

In these cases you are acting as the child’s foster/pre-adoptive parent and you have the opportunity to give the child a stable home and the opportunity to heal, grow and begin bonding with you while the court process is completed.

The final decision about whether to terminate a biological parent’s parental rights is made by the Judge.  There are many nuances to “legal risk” situations like this and you will learn a great deal more about this during training and working with your Bright Futures Adoption Center social worker.

Yes!  Single parents can be wonderful resources for children in the foster care system.

The key to successful single parenting with children who have been traumatized is to be sure that the child is a good match for you, you understand the child’s needs and what you are taking on in becoming a single parent, and that you have many supports around you (family, friends, therapist etc.) to provide you and the child with help as needed.

When we are working with you to transition a specific child into your home, we will have a good sense of the child’s needs and help you work with the child’s social worker to put the best supports in place for the child and your family.

Supports may include individual therapy, family therapy, sibling therapy, in home therapy, a therapeutic mentor, Early Intervention services, special education services, medical services, social skills groups etc. depending on the child’s specific needs.

After you finalize an adoption, there are other post adoption services available to support adoptive families and their children.  Adoption Journeys is one such service.

Children who are adopted from foster care in Massachusetts are all covered by Masshealth for medical insurance until they age out in their young adulthood.

If you prefer, after the adoption is finalized you can add your child to your own health insurance and they can retain Masshealth as their secondary insurance.

Children who are adopted from foster care may be eligible for tuition assistance at Massachusetts state colleges/universities.

Also, some percentage of children adopted from foster care will be eligible to receive an adoption subsidy.  This is a monthly payment paid to the adoptive parents for the benefit of the child to help cover the child’s living expenses/needs.

Adoption subsidies are typically available for larger sibling groups or children with significant medical, mental health or behavioral needs.

Also, some percentage of children adopted from foster care will be eligible to receive additional financial assistance to assist with a child’s specific special needs (PACT services).

Yes!  There are many sibling groups waiting in foster care for loving families.

Yes, it is possible to have a newborn or very young infant placed in your home, but you will be acting as a foster parent first until the rights of the child’s biological parents are terminated through the court system.

When a child first comes into care, the child’s biological parents must be given the opportunity to make the changes necessary to allow them to safely care for their child.  If they are not able to do so, their rights will be terminated and then you can adopt the child.

This type of placement is called “Concurrent Planning” as the Department of Children and Families is seeking a home that can both foster the child and provide a permanent adoptive home for the child if the child is not able to return home.

This type of situation requires a special kind of family who can give the child all of their love and attention with the understanding that the child may not stay with them.

No, not unless you authorize this information to be disclosed.

Before committing to adopting a specific child you will receive all information that is available to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) about the child, including why they came into care, how many placements they have had since coming into foster care, their medical, mental health, developmental, educational, and social history, information about their biological parents and siblings and what type of ongoing contact may be appropriate with their relatives in their specific situation.

Typically, you will learn about the child’s history, needs and strengths before you ever meet the child so that the child is not introduced to you until you are confident that you can meet the child’s needs.

In some situations, families have already met a child who is in need of a permanent placement through a connection in their community, school, church etc. or through an adoption party or other event where foster children are present.

Yes, in most cases, you can adopt if you have pets.

During the home study process we will need to confirm that the pets that you have are appropriately licensed and vaccinated and appropriate with children.

Obviously, a child who is allergic to cats or dogs may not be a good match for your family.

The Department of Children and Families has policy that prohibits the adoption of a child under 12 by a non-relative family who has a pit bull, rottweiler or German shepherd.

Yes, you can adopt if you have biological children.  There are many different things to consider as you approach adoption when you are already parenting.

We will work with you to identify what age child would be a good match for your family depending on the age and needs of your biological children.

We will also help you think about how to talk with your biological children about adding to your family through adoption, what the child coming into your home has experienced, what changes will be needed in your home to support your new child, what their role will be etc.

We will also spend time helping you think about how to include your biological children in the transition process for your new child.

Yes, you can be specific about the age range and gender of the child you are seeking.  In general it is a good idea to be as open minded as possible as the child’s match with your family is more important than a specific age or gender.

Yes, it is common and very important for children to remain in contact with their birth family in some way post adoption.

Children need access to ongoing information about their biological family lifelong and may miss and worry about their family members.

Your child’s birth family is an important part of who your child is.  It is important to know that for the children’s safety, visits with birth family members typically take place in a supervised setting.

This is a complex topic that will be explored in more depth in MAPP training and during the home study process.