School Age Children Adoption

Each year in Ohio alone, more children become legally available for adoption than agencies are able to place. Of all the Ohio children waiting for families of their own, most are six years of age or older. Some are brothers and sisters who want to remain together, while others have been removed from their home because of abuse or neglect, through no fault of their own.

Because of their age, these children have special characteristics or needs that may present as barriers to adoption. These include children who:

are part of a sibling group to be adopted together
are over the age of 7 years
have been in the custody of a public adoption agency for over one year
are of a minority race
have medical, emotional, developmental or behavioral issues
have been in foster care for over one year

The Children's Home of Cincinnati is proud to work with public agencies locally and throughout the state to find homes for these children. To view photos and biographies of children currently awaiting adoptive placement, visit www.jfs.ohio.gov/oapl. To learn more about this service, contact The Children's Home today at (513) 272-2800 or e-mail us.

The process

Have you considered learning more about adoption but aren’t sure where to begin? The following information details the general steps involved in the adoptive process.

Orientation: Those interested in finding out more about adoption can attend an orientation session to learn about the process and the children awaiting adoptive placement. Your questions will be answered by an adoption professional, who can help you decide if adoption is right for you.
Education: Classes are offered to prospective adoptive parents as part of the family assessment process. Families learn about the issues inherent to adoption. Classes are offered in various locations throughout the year.
Application: Once you’ve decided that adopting a school-age child is right for you, you will complete an application to begin the process.
Family Assessment: Formerly known as a home study, the family assessment is conducted by a social worker and includes family interviews, required paperwork and visits to your home. Once the family assessment is successfully completed, you will be approved as an adoptive parent.
Adoption: At this step, you’re ready to adopt a child! Your social worker will help you learn about the children available for adoption, and assess their needs and your family’s readiness to meet those needs. This helps to ensure a successful match between the child and your family.

To request an adoption packet simply e-mail your request or call (513) 272-2800.