What is Adoption?

Adoption is the permanent, legal transfer of parental rights and responsibilities from a child’s birth parents to the adoptive parents.

Resource Families & Concurrent Planning 

The federal government requires child protection agencies to support reunification between children and their parents, while at the same time developing permanent plans for the children in case reunification efforts fail.  This is called concurrent planning.

Our Families 

Orange County Children and Family Services is a state licensed public adoption agency.  We refer to our adoptive families as “Resource Families.”  A Resource Family is committed to meeting the immediate and permanent needs of children who are dependents of the Orange County Juvenile Court.  This involves:

• Completing the Resource Family Approval (RFA) process.
• Accepting placement of children when only minimal background information is available about them and their birth families.
• Meeting the physical, emotional, medical, developmental and educational needs of the child/ren placed in your care on a foster care basis.
• Engaging in an active partnership with Agency staff to support reunification efforts.
• Supporting child/ren’s transition to their biological parents’ care, if/when their parents are successful in completing their court-ordered case plan and reunification efforts.
• Adopting the child/ren when reunification is not possible and a permanent home is needed.

Our Children

Ranging in age, ethnicity, and culture, children in the Dependency system reflect Orange County’s general demographics.  There is always a great need for Resource Families available to serve children who are:

• Part of a sibling group.
• Older than the age of 6 years.
• Exhibiting a variety of special developmental, educational, medical, and/or emotional needs.

Visit the Heart Gallery and meet some of the wonderful children looking for special families to adopt and love them.

To learn more, click here and attend an orientation.