How long does it take to become a foster/kinship parent or an adoptive parent?
Some people think that because there is a shortage of foster/kinship families, becoming a foster/kinship parent is quick. There are too many children who have experienced the tragedy of abuse and neglect, so we do need many competent foster/kinship families. However, the children need us to be careful about who becomes foster/kinship parents and adoptive parents because we do not want the children to be hurt any more. The licensing/training/assessment process will take about four months–still much faster than having a baby, and not as long as it takes to get a license to be a barber. How soon a child is placed with you depend upon a number of other factors. For example, if you are willing and able to foster/kinship or adopt older children, brothers and sisters, or younger children with medical problems, you probably will be able to have a child placed with you more quickly.
