What would DIS-QUALIFY someone from Being an Adoptive or Foster Parent

I have had a few couples reach out to me lately and ask me a few questions I didn't know the answers to. You'd think after 4 home studies, 5 adoptions, involving 3 different states, that we'd KNOW IT ALL.... But, Alas, we DON'T so, the next logical thing to do was ASK....

I'm putting the answers BELOW:

Here's what Lutheran Family Services said:

When thinking about adoption or foster care, many people have questions or even anxiety  about whether they are eligible.  There are a few disqualifying things such as : you must be 21 and have no felony criminal or child abuse history. For adoption, every agency may have different requirements around religion, same sex couples, single persons or age. International adoptions have many criteria based on the country and can include age, BMI, medication for mental health issues. 

The important thing for all agencies is to place children in homes that are safe and nurturing.  Agencies are not looking for people who have had a perfect childhood or never made a mistake.   Life’s tough  experiences show your ability to cope  with difficulties and how you used services and your support system to help you.

Financial  It can be expensive to adopt and your finances will be evaluated.  It is not about the amount of money you make but how you handle money.  If you make a great deal of income but are swimming in debt, adoption fees and bringing another child in the home could be very stressful and may impact your marriage and the attachment to your child.  Many adoptive families with a modest income but financially responsible are highly successful in adoption .

Timing   Sometimes families want to apply for adoption immediately after a miscarriage and although we believe that infertility may never be completely resolved, you agency may  put you  on hold to deal with these issues before you proceed to adopt. If stresses in your life such as illness, job loss or death of a parent or family member or other issues are overwhelming , the  agency may ask you to be on hold.

Medical Everyone in your family will need a physical and recommendation from your doctor about your ability to parent. Most health issues are not disqualifying but will be explored in a home study.  If you are a cancer survivor , you would be asked about how you dealt with the illness and what your support systems would be in the future if it reoccurred.  If your  physical stated that you can’t pick up over 25 pounds due to a back injury, we would talk with you and problem solve about how you would pick up your child as a toddler.

Alcohol and Drugs. Any substance use will be discussed and if excessive or problematic to your relationships or job it would be addressed in the study.  Marijuana is not approved even if being used  for medical purposes.

From Adoption Choices of CO ( non-profit- privately funded agency)

The most common reasons for not being approved to adopt a child through the home study process are as follows:

A felony less than ten years old (case-by-case)

A felony involving domestic violence or anything to do with a child

A history of viewing child pornography/sex offender

A health issue that is life threatening and would shorten a person’s life span 

Some are:

If one person wants to adopt a child and the other person in the couple obviously does not (counseling might be recommended instead of denial)

Drug/alcohol use that is current and has never been treated

Obvious marital issues that have not been addressed

Financial deficits – unable to afford to raise a child

Also added- IT WOULD NOT disqualify you if you use MJ in CO- IF you adopt from here and emom lives here- BUT, if she lives in any state that doesn't approve of medical or rec marijiuana use- you cannot adopt from that particular state. 

Added insight...

Addictions in general that are current are a reason to be denied

Any medical condition where a person would not be able to physically parent a child or has a terminal illness

Marijuana is treated like alcohol use (case-by-case)

Overweight is ok if it will not affect their lifespan

Addicted to pain pills - denied

Here's what Adoption Options of CO has to say as well:

Personal finances are also taken into consideration as well.  We don’t want the adoption process to be too financially crippling for a family and we want to make sure families are financially prepared to care for a child. 

Certain felonies would immediately exclude them from the process

If they are not being truthful or not disclosing information that is discovered later via a background check

If it is discovered they are not in a stable relationship or there are medical /mental health problems not being resolved or managed,

drug or alcohol abuse

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REMEMBER

Privately funded agencies ( meaning ones that the federal gov't doesn't contribute to) have their own rules and regulations. SO, BEFORE you LEAP- look into the agencies policies and practices and ETHICS.
There you have it! Your Answers!!!