Foster to Adopt Program

Our Program

Canyon Acres recruits, trains, certifies and supports foster/adoptive parents who welcome into their homes children of all ages who are in need of a nurturing, therapeutic home.  These homes, located throughout Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles and San Diego Counties, are an important way the community truly cares for its most needy children.

In California there are over 64,000 children in foster care and more than 350 children waiting to be adopted.  These children tend to be older, over the age of 8, teens and are usually part of a sibling group.  Because Canyon Acres believes that every child deserves a safe, stable and loving forever home we not only recruit and support foster families but also look for families that would be open to adopting an older child.

At Canyon Acres, foster parents are part of a team that is trained and fully supported by our staff.  There is a close relationship between our foster parents and staff which creates a nurturing and therapeutic environment for the child. 

Our Services

Canyon Acres believes that it takes a community to raise a child.  We provide a variety of services to our families and the children in our care.  These include:

• Homestudy: The homestudy is a family assessment completed using information you provide to us via questionnaires and interviews.  A homestudy must be completed prior to the placement of children in your home.
• Social Worker Support: Canyon Acres Social Workers provide support, resources, information, guidance, advocacy, regular home visits and training.
• Pre-Certification Training: Canyon Acres provides 30 hours of training to all of our foster parents.  Training topics include protecting and nurturing children, meeting children's developmental needs, and addressing developmental delays, supporting relationships between children and their families, working as a member of a professional team, life long adoption issues, positive discipline, rights and responsibilities, etc.
• Post-Certification Training Opportunities: Canyon Acres provides a variety of training opportunities for families throughout the year. 
• Parent Support Groups (with childcare): Several times each year, Canyon Acres provides our families with the opportunity to come together and share their ideas and experiences.
• Individualized Child Assessments & Case Planning: Each child will receive an individualized strength based assessment of his/her needs. You will be an important part of the child's treatment team.
• Social/Family Activities: Several times a year, Canyon Acres plans and coordinates various family activities; these may include ball games, amusement park tickets, picnics and parties.
• 24/7 Emergency On-Call Social Worker: We understand emergencies don't always happen during business hours.  Canyon Acres has a 24/7 emergency pager should you need to speak with someone after hours.
• Visitation Monitoring: The majority of the children placed through our agency have some type of visitation, either with parents, siblings or other relatives.  At times the visits must be monitored and the agency may decide, depending upon the circumstances, it is in the best interest of the child for a Canyon Acres Staff to monitor the visit.
• Transportation Assistance: Canyon Acres does provide our families with monthly payments which should be used for additional food and care of the child.  We do expect that our families will be able to transport the child to all of necessary visits and appointments.  We also understand that this may not always be possible and the agency is able, on a case-by-case basis, to assist with transportation.

Becoming a Foster Parent

Our foster / adoptive parents have varied backgrounds.  Canyon Acres welcomes anyone with a passion for children, a kind heart and the belief that every child deserves a safe loving home.  

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Canyon Acres foster / adoptive parent.  We would like share the steps you will need to take during the certification process.  When reviewing the process please do not hesitate to call with any questions, we are here to help you with the process.

Certification Process

Step #1: Review and return the Canyon Acres Foster Care and Adoption Inquiry.

Step #2: Attend Canyon Acres Orientation.

Step #3: Begin the Canyon Acres Application Process.

Step #4: Initial Home Study Interview is conducted.

Step #5: References are contacted and verified.

Step #6: Complete remainder of the Canyon Acres Application.

Step #7: Live Scan fingerprinting, TB Test, and Physical Exam.

Step #8: Collect copies of the following documents

-  Home Owner or Renters Insurance

-  Auto Insurance

-  Auto Registration

-  Drivers License

-  DMV Printout

-  Home Floor Plans

-  Pet Licensees and Vaccinations

-  Marriage Certificate/Divorce Decrees

-  Birth Certificate or Social Security Card

Step #9: Complete Pre-Certification Training (30 Hours)

Step #10: Individual Interviews

Step #11: Complete Adult, Child and Infant CPR, First Aid and Water Safety

Step #12: Family Interview, Home Study, and Home Inspection

Step #13: Canyon Acres Agency Certification Documents Signed   

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a child come to Canyon Acres?

These children have been removed from their birth family because of abuse and/or neglect issues and require placement outside of their home. Each county social services agency strives to place these children first with relatives or non-related extended family members. If there are no suitable caregivers the county will look to place children with either a county licensed foster home or with a Foster Family Agency home.

What are the children like?

The majority of the children who enter the foster care system have special issues and challenges that will effect their relationships with other people, the way they view the world, their ability to form appropriate attachments, their personal boundaries, self-esteem, school performance and general development.  The children come from a variety of backgrounds but all have experienced trauma in their lives.  A majority of children needing homes are older than six years, are teenagers, part of a sibling set, struggle with some degree of medical or emotional issues and are from diverse ethnicities. 

What is a fost/adopt parent certification?

At Canyon Acres we dually certify all our families for foster care and adoption, which we refer to as a fost/adopt certification.  A child is initially placed in the home as a foster placement. If the child's case plan becomes adoption and court terminates parental rights the foster family may then be eligible to adopt the child. Under most circumstances the foster family will be given the first opportunity to adopt their foster child, if the child is not being reunified with their birth family or extended relatives.  A child is not considered "freed" for adoption, and may still be reunified with their birth family, until the birth parent's parental rights are terminated by the court. This is the "legal risk" that the fost/adopt family must be willing to assume in exchange for the possibility that they may ultimately be able to adopt the child.

What if we are only interested in foster care, and not adoption?     

A dual certification does not obligate you to adopt. Foster care alone is a vital service. Children need a stable and nurturing home until they can be reunified with birth family or an adoptive home is found. Many times families who initially come to Canyon Acres with the desire to provide only foster care change their minds once a child's case plan moves to adoption. The dual certification allows foster families the option of eventually adopting.

What if we are only interested in adopting and not being foster parents?    

Canyon Acres also provides services for families wanting to adopt through the foster care system. In order to adopt through the foster care system, individuals are required by state law to be certified foster parents.  However, if you are not comfortable with the legal risks you may choose to look into other types of adoption; however, no adoption is without some legal risk.  Other options include infant agency or attorney adoption and international adoption.  It is important to research all the options to determine which one best fits your family.

Who qualifies as a fost/adopt parent? 

Anyone 23 years of age or older of any race, ethnicity and religion is welcome to attend a Canyon Acres' fost/adopt parent orientation.  There is no age cap as long as your health, energy and desires are appropriate.

Married couples, singles and same sex couples are also eligible.  It is recommended that two parent families be in a stable relationship and have been married or living together for a minimum of one year.  It is also recommended that single parents not have gone through a significant separation or a death of a spouse in the last year.

Homeowners or renters simply must have enough room for the child or children.  For more information on home/room requirements please feel free to call us.  Adequate income is necessary to support your household without relying on foster care or adoption subsidies.

Does a recent marriage, divorce, birth of a child or other major change in the family affect my qualification to be a fost/adopt parent?               

Yes. Families need stability before considering fostering or adopting.  Any major life change will be assessed on an individual basis. Sometimes a brief wait is encouraged. Two parent families must be in a stable relationship and have been married or living together for a minimum of one year. Single parents may have not gone through a significant separation or a death of a spouse in the last year.

If a major change in your family occurs during anytime during the certification process, before the additional of a child, we will encourage you to temporarily place your certification on hold, allowing you to focus on your family's needs.

I have a previous arrest record, can I still qualify to be a fost/adopt parent?

Depending on the charge, a previous criminal record may or may not disqualify you from being a fost/adopt parent. Most misdemeanor charges will not prevent you from fostering or adoption. Criminal clearances are collected for all adults living in the home. It's is very important to disclose any previous criminal records to your agency worker before beginning the certification process.

Can I afford to do this?                                                                                          

While the child is in foster care, families receive a monthly subsidy to feed, clothe and meet the material needs of the children placed in their care. This sudsidy is not meant to substitute a family's income and typically only covers the child's material needs.  Many fost/adopt parents pay for the child's extracurricular activities out of pocket. The child's medical needs are covered through Medi-Cal.

Once an adoption is finalized, the Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) continues to provide financial assistance and Medi-Cal coverage. This assistance may continue until the child is age 18 or, in certain circumstances, age 21.

Adopting from the foster care system is generally the least expensive type of adoption usually involving precertification training classes and safety certification trainings.  Other one time costs are reimbursable including costs for fingerprint clearance checks.  There may be minor costs for ordering necessary documents such as marriage certificates, divorce decrees and driving records.

Canyon Acres does not charge a fee for a family's home study, placement or post-placement work when a family is adopting through the foster care system.

Adoption finalization court costs are typically waived by the county's social services agency, unless a family hires their own adoptions attorney.  Up to $400.00 of non-recurring adoption expenses can be reimbursed to a family, by the county, after the adoption is finalized.  Additionally, there is a one time tax credit for every finalized adoption.  Please ask an accountant for further explanation.

Fees do apply for independent home studies.  Please contact a Canyon Acres representative for more information about these services and fees.

What are the significant changes after the adoption is finalized?

Full legal responsibility for a child. During the time the child was in foster care, legal responsibility was held by the social service agency.  After the adoption is finalized, full legal responsibility is held by the adoptive family.

Full financial responsibility for the child. Even though an adoptive family receives adoption assistance subsidy on behalf of the child, the adoptive family is still responsible for financial obligations such as childcare and extracurricular activities.

Full decision-making responsibility. While the child was in foster care, decision-making was shared with the county social service agency, the courts and birth parent. When the child is adopted, adoptive parents take on this full responsibility.

Attachment differences. The family is no longer working with the agency to help the child reunify with his/her birth parents; rather, they are now working to incorporate the child as a permanent member of their own family.                 

Am I required to provide health insurance for the child?                                         

Medical and dental coverage is provided through the Medi-Cal program. All children, whether foster or adoptive, are covered by Medi-Cal or Cal-Optima until they are 18 years of age. Once a child is in an adoptive placement, the family has the choice of placing the child under their private medical insurance. However, the child may continue receiving Medi-Cal as a secondary medical insurance. 

Can we choose the age and sex of the child?                                                          

Yes. You may inform us of the type of child you believe would best fit in your family -- age, gender, ethnicity and medical/emotional issues. You will be asked to complete a Child Desired form during the certification process. The decision to place a child is a joint decision. Your family, the child and the county and agency social worker must all feel comfortable with the placement. You do not have to accept a child.  You may feel that a child would not fit in or you may feel that you cannot give a child the care he or she needs.  However, we do encourage our foster/adoptive parents to be as open as possible.  Limiting your requirements will directly effect the length of time you wait for a child.

Can I treat the foster children in my care like my own children?

Yes, with some exceptions, for example, California code of regulations for foster homes lists Foster Children's Personal Rights.  For example, a foster child has the right to attend the church of their choice or not to attend.  California law also prohibits corporal punishment being used on foster children. Corporal punishment includes spanking. Permission must be received from the county social service agency prior to any foster child traveling out of state or receiving certain medical treatment.  Also foster children are not allowed to be homeschooled and certain educational decisions are reserved by the individual appointed holder of the child's education rights. These personal rights and laws are covered in the precertification training. Once an adoption is finalized, these laws no longer apply.