Parents wishing to adopt in Minnesota must:
- Be at least 21 years of age.
- Have sufficient household income to support adopted child/ren. Adoption assistance is available, but is not intended to cover the actual costs of raising a child.
- Pass an Adam Walsh Background Check (household members age 18+ must submit fingerprints). We welcome any questions you have about how your specific history might impact a background study.
- Participate in pre-adoption and foster care training (about 16 hours).
- Actively engage in the home study process.
Many families that adopt through Ampersand Families…
- Understand the personal and societal cost of allowing young people to age out of foster care without positive family relationships.
- Choose to adopt from foster care in large part because they view the plight of youth in care as a social justice issue, and want to be part of the solution.
- Commit to helping maintain birth family and other significant relationships.
- Are resilient.
- Often have experienced challenges in their own lives and have done their own therapeutic work.
- Have a great balance of realistic expectations and great hope for what it means to adopt an older youth.
- Know that they may need their own therapeutic support as they grow and develop in their new role as a parent to an older wounded, but resilient, youth.
- Are proactive in reaching out for help.
- Have a rich network of friends and family who are committed to helping their family succeed.
- See the value of accessing community-based supports and services.
- Have and use a sense of humor and irony.
- Have interests and activities they hope to share with youth.
- Genuinely enjoy teens.
- Have to ability to keep focused on the goal of adoption, even when the steps and systemic barriers make the process frustrating.
