Step 1: Contact Us
Contact our Recruitment Hotline at 602.930.4900. We will mail the packet of information to you. You can also request a packet by filling out our “Get Started” form.
Step 2: Attend an Orientation.
Adoption orientations are free, mandatory and held throughout the Valley. During the orientation, one of our specialists will give you an overview of the adoption process, guide you through every step of the process, share profiles of the waiting children and answer your questions.
Step 3: Complete the Adoption Application and Intake Interview.
At the end of the orientation, you will be given an application to fill out. Once AASK has received your completed application, one of our specialists will contact you to conduct an intake interview. This interview is an informal meeting to discuss specific adoption needs and to provide additional information regarding the adoption process. This step is the starting point of the relationship between AASK and the prospective adoptive parent(s).
Step 4: Have a Home Study Prepared.
The home study provides AASK and the state with comprehensive information needed to place a child in your care. You and your specialist will meet several times during the process. You will need to submit various documents including copies of your birth certificate(s), marriage license (if applicable), income tax returns, and medical reports completed by your physician. All adults in your home must be fingerprinted and cleared through the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Step 5: Complete a Training Series.
While the home study is underway, you will attend a 10-week mandated training course, where you will learn parenting skills, assess your own strengths as a parent, and better understand the particular needs of children in the foster care system.
Step 6: Be Matched With a Child.
Now you are ready to begin the matching process. You will have the opportunity to look at our “Meet the Kids” Gallery and review profiles of other Arizona foster children waiting for adoption. Your AASK Family Specialist will assist you by identifying potential children who may be a good match for your family. Once it is determined by the child’s team that you are the right match for a child(ren), you will learn about your child's medical and family history. After this occurs, you and the child(ren) can begin visiting each other. During this pre-adoptive phase, you and your child will get to know each other.
Step 7: Get to Know Each Other.
After visiting, the child(ren) will move into your home. During this pre-adoptive phase, you and your child will get to know each other. You will learn about your child's medical and family history. You will also learn about adoption subsidies and reimbursements. You will sign an Adoptive Placement Agreement that states you will take care of the child and intend to adopt.
Step 8: The Child is Placed in Your Care.
After the child(ren) move into their new home, it can take approximately 6-8 months — and in some cases longer — before the adoption can be finalized. AASK will remain involved with both you and the child(ren) during this time.
Step 9: Choose an Attorney to File the Adoption Petition.
When you are ready to finalize the adoption, you will hire an attorney and work with the child's case manager to file the adoption petition in Juvenile Court.
Step 10: Finalize the Adoption.
Your adoption petition will be reviewed in Juvenile Court. When the judge approves the match, you and your child(ren) can go to court to sign the final adoption papers. Congratulations! You are now a family.
