Delaware Foster Care and Adoption
Adoption in Delaware
Presently, there are about 68 children over the age of 8 waiting for adoptive families in Delaware.
People are eligible to adopt in Delaware if they are over the age of 21, have no criminal charges regarding children and have the financial means and space in their home to support a child.
The least costly, and possibly the shortest wait for adoption, is to adopt an older or special needs child. Pre-adoption classes are required for older child adoption.
Adopting an infant in Delaware requires an adoption agency or an attorney for both the birth parents and the adopting parents.
Foster Care in Delaware
There are over 555 children waiting in foster care in Delaware. They range in age from infants through teens and come from all racial and ethnic groups. Some of them have special physical or education needs and many require special support to catch up both educationally and socially with their peers.
The process of becoming a foster parent in Delaware consists of seven steps: the first contact, orientation, application, pre-service training, home assessment, certification and placement. Foster parents must be at least 21 years of age, rent or own their home, participate in 27 hours of pre-service training, pass a criminal background check and fingerprint screening, pass home, health, and safety studies, as well as they must be economically stable and provide references. They can be single, married, divorced or widowed, can be of all races and religions.
Foster parents can have up to five children living in their home, including their own.
Below you can find names, summaries, and contact information for agencies providing adoption and foster care services and helpful information.
Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families
The primary responsibility of Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families is to provide and manage a range of services for children who have experienced abandonment, abuse, adjudication, mental illness, neglect, or substance abuse. Its services include prevention, early intervention, assessment, treatment, permanency, and after care.
The department consists of 4 divisions, including the Division of Family Services which strives to promote the safety and well-being of children and their families through prevention, protection, and permanency. DFS investigates child abuse, neglect and dependency, provides treatment services, foster care, different types of adoption, independent living and child care licensing services.
Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families
1825 Faulkland Rd
Wilmington, DE 19805-1195
Phone: (302) 633-2500
Email: info.dscyf@state.de.us
Division of Family Services
Phone: 302-633-2657
1-800-464-4357
Email: fs.dscyf@state.de.us
foster_care.dscyf@state.de.us
A Better Chance for Our Children
A Better Chance for Our Children is a 501(c)3 corporation and a Delaware foster care and adoption agency whose goal is to provide complete pre- and post-adoption services to Delaware families.
Their services include:
- Resource Family Preparation Training Groups;
- Family Counseling focused on foster care and adoption;
- Specialized groups for adopted children;
- Respite for adoptive families;
- Specialized parenting education classes and support groups;
- Ongoing support for any family touched by adoption.
1307 Philadelphia Pike
Wilmington, DE 19809
Phone: 302-746-7265
805 S. DuPont Boulevard
Milford, DE 19963
Phone: 302-725-5008
Statewide: 1-877-533-2212
Adoptions From The Heart
Adoptions From The Heart is a private, 501 C-3 non-profit, non-sectarian adoption agency, licensed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Virginia and Connecticut to provide resources for families looking to adopt within the United States or Internationally. The agency offers domestic adoption, international home studies, and adoption assistance services to assist families and professionals.
18-A Trolley Square
Wilmington, DE 19806
Phone: (302) 658-8883
Email: adoptions@afth.org
Bethany Christian Services
Bethany Christian Services is a global nonprofit organization that brings families together and keeps families together. Bethany is a full-service agency that is fully accredited.
The agency’s goal is to provide stability for foster children by providing stable loving families to care for them. Bethany Christian Services help families to be prepared to take foster care placement of children who have a dual plan of return home and adoption. Families willing to take on a legal risk will be supported in working towards reunification with birth families while at the same time making a long term commitment to a child or sibling group.
The agency provides Infant Adoption, International Adoption, Foster Care Adoption services, and Post Adoption Support.
260 Chapman Rd., Ste. 205A
Newark, Delaware 19702
Phone: (302) 369-3470
Child and Home Study Associates (CHSA)
CHSA is a nonprofit adoption agency licensed in three states—Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware—to provide adoption services. While providing Adoption Home Studies as a primary service, they also have an active consultation service of suggesting a variety of proven placement resources and providing information regarding clients’ concerns.
Working cooperatively with placing agencies and adoption attorneys the agency takes an active role in preparing clients for adoption through Pre-adoption Counseling, Domestic and International Resource Counseling, Adoption Home Study Evaluations, and Post-placement Supervision.
242 N. James Street,
Suite 202
Wilmington, DE 19804
Phone: 302.475.5433
Email: info@chsadoptions.org
Children & Families First
Children & Families First is a non-profit social services agency providing classes and counseling services to parents and children to teach them positive, effective ways to interact and offering safe, secure and nurturing foster and adoptive homes for children who have been separated from the care of their biological families.
Children & Families First helps prospective foster families assess their readiness to provide foster care, provides training and offers ongoing support and consultation.
Adoptive families are provided with counseling and support services during the process – from home study to placement until the adoption is finalized. Also training and assistance with referrals for ongoing support is available after finalization.
2005 Baynard Boulevard
Wilmington, DE 19802
Phone: 302-658-5177
800-220-3092
809 Washington Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
Phone: 302-658-5177
91 Wolf Creek Boulevard, Suite 1
Dover, Delaware 19901
Phone: (302) 674-8384
400 N Market Street Extension
Seaford, Delaware 19973
Phone: (302) 629-6996
410 S Bedford Street
Georgetown, Delaware 19947
Phone: (302) 856-2388
Children’s Choice of Delaware, Inc.
Children’s Choice is a Christian social service agency, which provides specialized community-based services, including foster care, kinship, and adoption (domestic and special-needs adoption programs) services.
Children’s Choice is licensed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.
25 S. Old Baltimore Pike, Suite 101
Newark DE 19702
Phone: 302-731-9512
707 Walker Road
Dover, DE 19904
Phone: 302-678-0404
Email: info@childrenschoice.org