Foster Care Adoption
North Carolina Foster Care Adoption Attorney
Foster Care Adoption Lawyer
When a child who cannot live with parents or a relative, foster care provides a temporary home with a licensed foster parent until the court makes a permanent placement plan.
When parents lose their parental rights, children in foster care can become eligible for adoption, either by their foster parents or by families willing to adopt from the foster system. You should have an experienced foster care adoption attorney at your side. Contact Mills Adoption Law today to schedule a 15-minute consultation call with Attorney Bobby Mills.
How Mills Adoption Law Can Help You and Your Family Adopt
Why would a family consider adopting a child in foster care? Some common situations when a family chooses to adopt from foster care include:
- The adopting family is less restrictive about a child’s age, race, gender, or special needs.
- The foster parent wants to adopt a child whose parents already lost their parental rights.
- The adopting family wants a more affordable adoption through foster care.
- The adopting family wants to give a home to a child without a family.
Adopting a Child from Foster Care
Children in foster care have often experienced trauma and may express behavioral issues, insecurity, and mental health issues like anxiety or depression. However, these children need compassionate homes to feel safe and loved. Children eligible for adoption in foster care often include children with special needs, teenagers, minority children, and sibling groups.
To be eligible to adopt a child in North Carolina, you must be at least 18 years of age, pass a background check, get fingerprinted, and possibly undergo training, depending on the foster care adoption agency with whom you work.
All adoptive parents must also complete a home study before adopting a child, whether a foster care adoption or another type of adoption. For more information on the complexities of adopting a child from foster care, contact a foster care adoption attorney at Mills Adoption Law.
Adopting a Child as a Foster Parent
Sometimes, a child or sibling group in foster care becomes eligible for adoption if their birth parents lose their parental rights and another family member cannot care for them. In these cases, your local Department of Social Services (DSS) may consider you first to adopt a child in your care as a foster parent.
Foster parents protect children in foster care from returning to unfit homes that could put their health, well-being, or lives at risk. If you want to adopt a child in your care through North Carolina’s foster system, you should retain an experienced foster parent adoption attorney.
At Mills Adoption Law, we want to help caring foster parents adopt children to provide a safe, loving home for at-risk children in North Carolina.
What Training Do Adoptive Parents of Foster Children Undergo Before Adopting?
You may need to complete additional training for your foster care adoption agency to allow you to adopt a foster child in their care.
Some agencies even require non-foster parent families looking to adopt to take the same certification course they require their foster parents to take.
Foster parents must take a 30-hour certification course called “Trauma-Informed Partnering for Safety and Permanence/Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting.”
Some agencies require prospective adoptive parents to take the same certification course before being eligible to adopt a child from foster care.
Contact a North Carolina Adoption Attorney for Your Foster Care Adoption
Adoption is a complex legal process that can be costly and time-consuming. While we often get questions about how long it could take or how much it will cost to adopt a child, each case is different.
North Carolina requires a six-month home study procedure before parents can adopt a child if they are not foster parents. The process could be different for foster parents because they must undergo certification, interviews, and home inspections.
For help from a foster care adoption attorney in Raleigh, NC, turn to Mills Adoption Law. We have over 35 years of experience in real adoption cases, including adoption through foster care. Contact us today to schedule a 15-minute call with Attorney Bobby Mills.
Ask a Question,
Describe Your Situation,
Request a Consultation
Call (919) 306-2899 or fill out the short form below. We will usually respond within 1 business day but often do so the same day. Don’t hesitate, your questions are welcome.
We respect your privacy. The information you provide will be used to answer your question or to schedule an appointment if requested.
Why Choose Mills Adoption Law?
- Experience–Attorney Bobby Mills has over 35 years of experience representing birth parents, adoptive parents, and foster parents through all aspects of adoption and parental rights.
- Adoption Specialist–Other firms include adoption and parental rights as part of their larger family law practice areas. At Mills Adoption Law, we focus exclusively on adoption, parental rights, and foster parent rights.
- Board-Certified–Attorney Bobby Mills is a Fellow of the American Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproductive Attorneys, certified by the board as a specialist in family law, and the former director of a child placement agency.
- Agency Attorney–At Mills Adoption Law, we also represent child placement agencies and their clients.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Faqs About Foster Care Adoption
Below are some frequently asked questions about Foster Care Adoption:
How do you qualify to be a foster parent?
To become a foster parent in North Carolina, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be 21 years of age or older
- Submit to fingerprinting and a background check
- Complete 30 hours of required training
If you satisfy those requirements, you can become a foster parent. It does not matter if you are single, married, divorced, or widowed.
How does foster child adoption work in North Carolina?
Not all children in the foster care system are available for adoption. The primary goal of North Carolina’s social services workers is to reunite families. However, when that is not possible, they may be adopted.
The steps necessary to become a foster parent differ from those required to adopt a child. However, a foster parent wishing to adopt a child in their care must complete the same legal steps in adopting a minor, including filing a petition with the court and completing a home study.
If you have questions for a foster care adoption attorney, Mills Adoption Law can help. Ask to speak with a foster care lawyer during a free consultation.
How long does it take to adopt a child from foster care?
There is no single answer to this question, as each adoption is unique. Generally speaking, you must complete the following steps to adopt a child from foster care:
- Select an agency to work with
- Complete your home study and training (which usually takes three to six months)
After completing the steps above, the length of time to adopt depends on finding the right match. The critical thing to remember is that the entire process is child-centric. All parties are acting with the best interests of the child in mind.
Once the state places a child in your home, it may take up to six months to finalize the adoption. If you need a lawyer for foster care concerns or questions, Mills Adoption Law is here to help growing families. Speak to one of our adoptions lawyers today.
Do I have a right to a copy of my home study evaluation?
Yes, North Carolina law allows you to view a copy of your home study or pre-placement assessment. In addition, the agency you worked with will keep a copy of your assessment for at least five years. This applies to complete and incomplete assessments.
Professional Associations
Why Should You Choose An Adoption Attorney?
An adoption attorney will:
Provide
We will provide an unbiased explanation of adoption procedures and develop a legally secure plan tailored to your needs.
Assess
We will assess the risks involved, including determining what payments are permissible and ensuring that birth parents are treated fairly and their rights are legally terminated before placement is finalized.
Clarify
We will clarify your options, if any, for post-placement arrangements with birth parents, making sure your interests and those of the child are served.
Explain
We will explain your rights and adoption laws in your state or refer you to attorneys who practice in other states or internationally.
Review
We will review and negotiate the adoption agency contract to protect your interests.
You Should...
Contact
You should contact an attorney as early as possible in the decision-making process.
Learn
Learn about the specific types of adoption services the attorney provides. Ask what percentage of the practice is dedicated to adoption and how many adoption proceedings the attorney has handled.
Choose
Choose an attorney who is experienced in the type of adoption you are considering.
Know
Know what the attorney charges, how fees are structured and that you can afford the services.
Ask
Ask questions, request references, share your concerns and provide the attorney with all relevant documents. Ask for a written retainer agreement that outlines what the attorney charges, how fees are structured and other details regarding fees and fee payment.
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Real Clients, Real Testimonials
I had a very good experience in my adoption process, my confidence in Bobby Mills and his group, was completely justified. I am so glad I found his services as a professional lawyer and felt he did above my expectations! The process was walked through step by step with results we could see the end coming closer in sight each meeting. He was prompt and courteous and answered questions I had. Definitely would use his services again!!
Adoption is one of the most meaningful — and sometimes complicated — journeys a family can take. What began as a simple interstate adoption quickly became the most “unusual” and complicated case lasting 15 months. From the initial consultation, Bobby handled every turn with compassion, clarity, and unwavering ease.
He was consistently available to answer questions, explain the process in a way that felt approachable, and offer steady, thoughtful guidance when it was needed most. His knowledge of adoption law — gave me so much peace of mind during an uncertain time. His recommendations for post-placement services and trusted colleagues were also wonderful, providing the support needed well beyond the courtroom.
Thanks to Bobby’s expertise and heart, my family’s story found its way home. I’ll always be grateful for the steadiness and kindness he brought to this life-changing story.
If you’re in search of an adoption attorney who’s both highly skilled and deeply kind, I couldn’t recommend Mills Adoption Law more.
We can’t recommend Mills Law Firm enough! Going through the adoption process can be daunting and emotional, but Bobby was there for us every step of the way. From our very first consultation, he made us feel welcome and informed.
Throughout the process Bobby was able to able to answer all questions clearly and patiently and guided us step by step through the complex legal paperwork. He was always incredibly responsive to our calls and kept us updated on the progress of our case throughout the entire process.
Thanks to Bobby’s help, our adoption was finalized smoothly, and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to him for helping us with this process.
If you’re considering adoption, we strongly recommend that you contact Mills Law Firm. Bobby’s expertise, communication, and support will make a world of difference in your adoption journey. We are so grateful for everything he did for us!
Bobby Mills is absolutely fantastic! I 100% recommend him for anyone trying to adopt! He’s very quick and made even the stressful moments of our adoption journey a lot less difficult! I am beyond grateful for this man and I do not regret the decision on choosing him as my lawyer! Thanks Bobby for everything! From: The Williams Family
I had a wonderful experience in every way possible! Everything was explained in detail of what could or would happen if situation went every way. I would definitely recommend Bobby & The Mills Adoption Law Team to handle your case! Bobby is very knowledgeable,smart, & a straightforward man. We didn’t need to come into the office much. They made it feel easy. Thank you!
I had a very delicate case with the hopes of a very impossible outcome but Bobby was always very honest. Always told me the cons and pros of every move we decided to take. And something that was nearly impossible he made it a reality with his wisdom. There are no words to explain the gratitude I feel towards him. He is extremely knowledgeable and has a network of attorneys to seek if he ever needs assistance. He personally picks up your calls & replies black to every email!! I am so blessed I found him. I will forever be in his debt. THANK YOU BOBBY!!
Bobby’s experience and vast connections with people all over the state of North Carolina was very helpful in making our adoption as smooth as possible. Even though our adoption happened in a town a couple of hours away from Bobby’s office he happened to know a social worker who lived in that town that helped us get through the process when we had questions that popped up. I felt that he always had our interests in mind and answered my texts and emails promptly. We actually recommended Bobby to our friends who are adopting in North Carolina as well. Highly recommend!
I reached out to Bobby about what I thought was an adoption issue but really was an immigration question that he recommended we figure out first. He also referred us to a couple of immigration lawyers that might be a better fit to begin this process. He was professional and gave us solid information. Thanks again Bobby:-)
Bobby Mills has been with us every step of the way with our independent interstate adoption; a confusing and lengthy process that was always made easier with the help of him and his firm. He was always responsive and professional with us, but showed genuine care when we spoke with him. An outstanding attorney, whom I would recommend to anyone.
We are so thankful for Bobby and all he did to help us bring our twin babies home. He was timely, professional, and kind at every turn of our journey. I will recommend him to every NC family I know hoping to adopt.