Q. I would like to adopt a baby or toddler. Can Hamilton County help me?
A. Hamilton County rarely has children under the age of 10 waiting for adoption. Most of the children who become available for adoption are adopted by their foster families. This is especially true for younger children. You will notice that nearly all of the younger children on our website indicate that they already have a family identified. It is recommended that families interested in adopting younger children consider becoming a foster parent or look into adopting through a private agency.
Q. How often is the website updated?
A. The website usually is updated several times a month. As children become available, are matched with families or their adoptions are finalized, their information is updated.
Q. Sometimes a child has “Thanks but I have an identified family” listed on the website and then the next week it no longer says that. Why is that?
A. Sometimes children are matched with a prospective adoptive family and through the course of the process it is determined that it is no longer a good match for the family or for the child. We take the “thanks” banner off their pictures and begin looking for new prospective families.
Q. How can I get additional information about children on the website?
A. Families can inquire about waiting children through the websites or by calling our Foster Care/Adoption information line, (513) 632-6366. We can only release additional information if the inquirer has an approved adoptive home study. Once our agency receives a copy of the approved adoptive home study, we then send additional information to the prospective adoptive family’s worker to review with the family.
Q. Why do you put kids on the website that already have a family identified?
A. We are required to list all children that are legally free for adoption in Hamilton County on our website even when the foster parents, relative or another adoptive family is already in the process of adopting them. We also think it’s nice for families to see the kids making progress toward adoption.
Q. How much does an adoption home study cost?
A. There are no home study fees when you adopt a child through a public agency, however Hamilton County only completes adoption home studies for families interested in adopting children ages 10 and older or for families that have a child in their home through a kinship placement that are planning to adopt. Many of the network agencies Hamilton County contracts with are able to do both the foster care license and adoption home study, however their primary role is to provide foster care and the adoption piece in place should a family want to adopt a foster child in their home. We highly recommend that families interested in adopting children younger than 10 years old become foster parents first as we rarely have younger children waiting for adoption.
Q. I have legal custody or guardianship of my grandson. I would like to formally adopt him. Can Hamilton County help me with this?
A. In situations where Hamilton County Job and Family Services (HCJFS) does not have custody of the child, we would not complete the adoption home study. This would be considered a private adoption. Please click here to view a list of local private adoption agencies.
Q. We adopted our child internationally and now need to complete the adoption here in the United States. Can Hamilton County help me with this?
A. In situations where HCJFS does not have custody of the child, we would not complete the adoption home study. You can contact Hamilton County Probate Court for additional information regarding how to complete your international adoption – www.probatect.org
Q. Is financial assistance available for individuals adopting?
A. There are a number of resources available to families pursuing adoption.
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State Adoption Assistance Loan Fund Program
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Employer Benefit
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Adoption Subsidies
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Adoption Tax Creditsa
Q. What is the difference between a public agency and a private agency?
A. A public agency is the local branch of your state or county social service department. It focuses on finding adoptive families for children in its custody.
A private agency is a state-licensed firm, either for-profit or nonprofit, that may or may not have a religious affiliation. Private agencies typically specialize in domestic infant adoption, foster care adoption, or international adoption.