Get the Information
Request an information packet by clicking here or call 311, or the Parent Recruitment Hotline at 212-676-WISH (outside of NYC: 877-676-WISH) to have it mailed to you.  You can schedule an orientation during your first call to the Hotline or wait until after you receive the information packet.

Get to Know Us
You will attend an orientation where child welfare professionals will give you an overview of foster care and answer your questions. At the end of the orientation you will be given an application to fill out.  Return the completed application to your foster care agency, who will contact you to begin a home study.

We'll Get to Know You
We will need to know more about you, your home and family, to ensure that you are prepared to care for children, and that your home is safe.  A social worker will work with you to complete a home study which can take up to several months.  The home study provides the child welfare agency and the courts with detailed information needed to place children in your care.  You and your social worker will meet several times during the process.  You will submit relevant documents such as birth certificate, marriage license, income tax returns, and medical reports completed by your physician.  All adults in your home must be fingerprinted and cleared through the State Central Register for Abuse and Neglect.

Get Trained
While the home study is underway, you will attend an 8-10 week Model Approach to Parenting Preparation (MAPP) training.  Through MAPP you will improve your parenting skills and assess your own strengths as a foster parent.  You will learn how to work with birth parents and how to help children adjust to their temporary home.  You will also learn about the subsidies you will receive for the care of the child and you will find out about your rights and responsibilities as a foster parent.

Get Certified, Open Your Heart and Home
Once you have successfully completed the home study and the foster parent training, you become a certified foster parent, and can begin to care for foster children in your home.  You are able to accept children who are in care on a temporary basis or become an adoptive home to a child who is ready to be adopted.

Foster Parents Cherish Making a Difference

Watch a video of foster parents discussing their experiences

Foster parents and their families play a critical role in the lives of thousands of young people, providing a temporary safe haven and frequently, acting as a lifelong resource even after children leave care.

More than 5,000 children enter foster care annually.  ACS estimates that it needs to recruit approximately 1,000 new foster parent homes every year to ensure that children are placed quickly in a stable home that meets their needs. 

Find out how to become a foster parent

LGBTQ Affirming Foster and Adoptive Families

ACS is looking for LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning) affirming families to provide welcoming homes to LGBTQ youth in care.  Affirming families are those who will welcome LGBTQ youth into their home, treat them with dignity and respect and work to meet their unique needs. You do not need to identify as LGBT yourself to become an affirming family for an LGBTQ youth! View poster (in PDF)

If you are interested in being matched with an LGBTQ youth, please call the ACS Parent Recruitment Hotline at 212.676.9474.

ACS LGBTQ Youth Community Resource Guide (PDF))

The Adoption Process

How Do I Adopt?
Get started on the process and get answers to your questions. Adoption in ten easy steps! 

Meet Our Kids
There are many children in NYC who need families to love and care for them.  Learn more about them through photos, bios, and their own words.

Wednesday's Child
An award-winning program featuring children who need adoptive homes. In New York City, Wednesday's Child airs each Wednesday and Sunday on NBC 4. Meet this week's child

For more information, request the Adoption Info Packet

Find useful books and links about adoption and foster care.

Sign up for the Adoption and Foster Care Email Newsletter

Orientation Sessions
Adoption and Foster Care orientations happen throughout the City and in nearby communities. To learn more and to find an orientation session in your neighborhood please contact us at (212) 676-WISH.