"When is a person too old to need a parent?" Never.

Project Wait No Longer(P.W.N.L.), Barker's foster care adoption program, helps find permanent families for youth, sibling groups, and children with specialized needs who are legally available for adoption. Youth waiting in foster care are 10–17 years old, but some younger children are part of larger sibling groups (three or more) who desperately wish to stay together. Our program partners with public child welfare agencies across the country to find loving, safe, and permanent families like yours. P.W.N.L. has placed over 185 wonderful children with adoptive families in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

Ready to take the first step? Register for a Pre-Adoption Training (N.T.D.C)

Our foster care program, PWNL, is seeking couples and individuals who have room in their homes and hearts to adopt a waiting child or sibling group. Our comprehensive program will provide you with the following services:

  • Specialized training in preparation for older child adoption
  • Support services and consultation throughout the process
  • An adoption home study with an adoption specialist
  • Matching and referral of a child or children legally free for adoption
  • Facilitation of visitation and placement of the child into your family
  • Intensive post-placement support services during the months after placement and before adoption finalization
  • Lifelong support and access to Barker’s Family and Post-Adoption Services

PWNL is seeking families and individuals who feel prepared to meet the needs of and become permanent families for the children waiting in the foster care system. Here is a video about the most common characteristics seen in PWNL adoptive parents.  We know that there are children with a wide variety of needs and preferences and as such we keep our eligibility requirements somewhat flexible.

The following are the general eligibility criteria for PWNL:

  • Singles and married couples are welcome to apply.  If married, you must be married for a minimum of one year at the time of application.  For couples who are more recently married (less than one year), you are welcome to apply if you have lived together for at least one year. Please note that unmarried couples are not eligible to adopt through this program and that any couple living together must apply for adoption together.
  • Parents must be a minimum of 25 years old.
  • Must be open to adopting a child or children up to the age of 12 or older.
  • Must complete the Pre-Adoption (N.T.D.C.) Training prior to starting the home study.
  • Must meet state and agency guidelines for criminal history, medical, and other eligibility standards.
  • Please click here to view Barker's non-discrimination agreement.
Apply Now! Contact Us

There are currently more than 400,000 children in the U.S. foster care system.
By age ten, a child’s likelihood of being adopted goes down by 50 percent.

About the Children Waiting in Foster Care

The children we place have all experienced significant trauma. Many have been removed from their biological families because of abuse and neglect and urgently need a loving and stable family that is prepared to help them heal from the impact of that trauma. Despite their history, children in the foster care system are very resilient and can thrive with the love and support of a safe, loving, and committed family. 

THE NUMBERS:

  • There are currently more than 400,000 children in the U.S. foster care system.
  • Slightly more than 100,000 children in care are awaiting adoptive families.
  • By age ten, a child's likelihood of being adopted goes down by 50 percent.
  • An estimated 22,000 children "age out" of foster care every year with no family ties.

We invite you to view our latest video, 'Aged Out: Life After Foster Care,' featuring three remarkable young adults who have journeyed through the foster care system and emerged as resilient individuals.

Contact us to learn more about Project Wait No Longer.

Email the Barker Adoption Foundation

info [at] barkerfoundation.org (Email Us)

Process & Timeline

On average, families working with P.W.N.L are matched with their children within 8–12 months of finalizing their home study. The timeline to be matched with a child varies from family to family, so it is important to note that this timeframe is just an estimate.

How much does adopting from foster care cost?

The PWNL adoption program is financed primarily through adoption fees, state contracts, grants, and donations.

Fees are assessed on a sliding scale based on household income. It is important to note that PWNL can often contract with the placing state agency to pay a significant part of your adoption fees, but this is not a guarantee. So we ask that all families be prepared to pay the adoption fees. If you have questions about how the state contracts work, please contact our Community Outreach and Recruitment Specialist at info [at] barkerfoundation.org or call 301-664-9664.

For details on adoptive parent eligibility, the adoption process, considerations, fees, and more, please view the PWNL adoption information packet on our Choosing A Program page. ​

Many families who adopt older children from the U.S. foster care system are eligible to receive a monthly subsidy to help offset the expenses they incur for seeking specialized therapeutic and academic post-placement support services. This monthly subsidy varies by state and by the needs of the child, but once established, is often provided until the child turns 18.

Project Wait No Longer

Older Child Adoption Training & Support

Parent education and training are an essential and valuable part of the adoption process. We are committed to providing critical services before, during, and after your adoption process.

What trainings do I need to adopt from foster care?

Information Meetings

The first step in learning more about adoption and our programs is attending a monthly free information meeting. You will have the opportunity to meet with staff members, ask questions, and hear from a family that has adopted through Barker. You can find an upcoming meeting by visiting the Barker Events Calendar.

Pre-Adoption Training (N.T.D.C.)

The National Training and Development Curriculum, N.T.D.C. is a nationally recognized training model used to educate, support, and prepare families who will be adopting a child through the US foster care system, international or private domestic process. Families will enhance core competencies and gain skills to effectively parent children from a variety of different backgrounds, who have experienced trauma, separation and loss. Through shared learning with others and with the facilitation of an experienced professional and parent team, we believe that families can provide the healing environment that children need.

Find the next session here

 

Foster Care Adoption Family Stories

Ta'Shay's Story:  A Child Waits No Longer

Ta'Shay's Story:  A Child Waits No Longer

When Ta’Shay lamented to a friend that she was ready to have a family, but had never married, her friend suggested she think about adopting a child. It was an idea Ta’Shay had never considered, but soon, it became an idea she could not get out of her mind.

Read Ta'Shay's Story: A Child Waits No Longer

James and Tammy's Story

James and Tammy's Story

"You could say we did things a little backwards...but she was well worth the wait!"  James and Tammy adopted their daughter, Jamie, at age ten.

Read James and Tammy's Story

Scott and Quang's Story

Scott and Quang's Story

After their first meeting Scott shared that they were "nervous, scared and excited at the same time." And after leaving Quang looked back and said, "I just adore that boy."

Read Scott and Quang's Story

Help Youth Waiting in Foster Care
Find Safe Permanent Families

Adopting an older child may not be a good fit for everyone; however, there are ways that everyone can help the 100,000+ children who are waiting in the foster care system.

You can help by doing any of the following:

  • Connecting P.W.N.L. staff with your local house of worship (church, temple, mosque, etc.), your community groups (support groups, Rotary Clubs, fraternities, book clubs, P.T.A. groups, etc.), or your workplace to share information about older-child adoption. 
  • Spread the word by sharing flyers, posters, and brochures in your local community (schools, libraries, doctors’ offices, nail shops, etc.), or becoming a digital Barker Champion by following us on social media and sharing our posts or blogs from the Barker Blog.
  • Donating to Barker. Donations and grants primarily subsidize the cost of running P.W.N.L. Your donation will go a long way toward helping a waiting child experience a permanent and loving family.

If you are interested in helping P.W.N.L. share information about children waiting in the foster care system, don't hesitate to contact our Outreach and Program Support Specialist at info [at] barkerfoundation.org or 301-664-9664. 

FAQs

The Barker Adoption Foundation’s Project Wait No Longer-Older Child Adoption from Foster Care (PWNL) program seeks to find families for children whose circumstances resulted in their being placed into public foster care. Most of these children are 12−17 years old, have some degree of special needs, are of various ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds, and may be part of a sibling group.

PWNL is seeking married couples and singles who have an unconditional commitment to providing permanent and loving families for older youth. Barker welcomes adoption applications from couples and individuals of all ages, all religious and ethnic backgrounds, and all sexual orientations and gender expressions. However, families should be aware that each of the 50 states has specific adoption legislation and has its own legal restrictions on adoption. Barker and our clients must abide by the adoption laws in the state where the family resides and the state from which they are adopting. Barker welcomes all inquiries. 

The adoption process includes the following chronological steps:

  1. 27 hours of specialized adoption training
  2. Individualized consultation
  3. Adoption home study
  4. Matching and referral
  5. Pre-placement meeting and visitation with child
  6. Placement of child
  7. A minimum of six months of post-placement support and supervision services
  8. Lifelong access to Barker’s comprehensive Family and Post-Adoption Services

Since 1945, Barker has been serving children and families in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., making it the fourth-oldest private adoption agency in the nation. Barker upholds a philosophy of excellence in ethical adoption and continual care throughout the adoption process. We have a strong history of pre-adoption education and preparation for prospective parents and lifetime post-placement support services. Dedicated adoption professionals are here for you and always respond in a timely fashion to your questions and requests. The hallmark of our program is our partnership with public child welfare departments with the shared goal of meeting the needs of older children.

The Parent Resources for Information, Development, and Education (PRIDE) Training is a thorough, four-part training program designed to prepare parents for adopting older children through the foster care system. Click for more information about the goals and details of training or call our offices to speak with an adoption specialist today.

Deciding to adopt an older child is a process that requires patience. The training is specifically designed to educate prospective adoptive parents and address the joys and challenges specific to older child adoption. While many who attend the training make the decision to proceed, there is no pressure to move forward with the program. We generally recommend doing the training before applying to the program to make sure PWNL is a good fit for your family.

Families who have taken PRIDE within the past three years should contact PWNL to discuss a reduction in the training requirement.  If PRIDE was taken more than three years ago, families are required to complete the training in its entirety again.

A home study is required of all prospective adoptive parents. It consists of a series of interviews with a knowledgeable and caring social worker, who will assist you in making well-informed decisions related to parenting older children. During your home study, your social worker will evaluate your readiness for older child adoption. The home study generally takes four to six weeks after the paperwork is submitted. Click to read more information about the home study process.

At this time, PWNL does not accept home studies from other agencies. The social worker who completes your home study is the same social worker who will provide your post-placement support. In our experience, it is extremely valuable to have a relationship with your social worker before navigating the often challenging waters of post-placement. For this reason, every family adopting from PWNL is required to have a home study completed by Barker.

The fees associated with PWNL are offered on a sliding scale ranging from $5,900 to $9,900, depending on your household income. Because PWNL contracts with public agencies, much of your cost for the program can often be reimbursed by the state. However, families must be prepared to pay the fees associated with the program. Many of the children we place are eligible for a monthly adoption subsidy, which will be paid to their parents until the child turns 18. Health insurance is often available until the child is 18. The current fee structure may be found here.

Prospective applicants often research their options extensively before the home study. Generally, applicants do not apply to multiple programs simultaneously; however, once an adoption is completed, parents sometimes desire to use another Barker program as they build their family. The various adoption programs have different processes, challenges, and rewards and are best addressed one at a time. Because children adopted at an older age often have specialized needs, concurrent adoption is generally discouraged when working with PWNL.

PWNL focuses on placing the most vulnerable children from the foster care system. Younger children are often adopted by their foster family unless they have a higher level of special needs. Although PWNL places children younger than age 10, most of these children are a part of larger sibling groups (three or more) or have a higher level of special needs. We require that any family choosing to work with PWNL be open to children with a minimum age of 12, even if they are open to considering younger children as well.

Children placed through PWNL generally have faced one or more of the following types of issues: 

  • Behavioral challenges
  • Emotional challenges
  • Educational challenges
  • Medical challenges

Taking the required older child PRIDE adoption training can help families better understand these special needs and identify which challenges they are prepared to parent.

Take our free 'Parenting Children with Specialized Needs Training' today!

Barker strongly supports the spirit of openness for all families. However, considering the circumstances that resulted in most children being placed into foster care, many children adopted from the foster care system do not have a direct relationship with their birth parents. The children may ask for continued contact with siblings or extended family members, previous foster families, and friends. It is rare, however, that children are able to maintain an ongoing relationship with the birth parents.

  • A monthly support group meets the first Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM at our Bethesda location.  To find out more, please contact info [at] barkerfoundation.org.
  • Specialized post-placement support groups
  • 24/7 on-call advice hotline 1-888-955-3339
  • PWNL parent mentoring
  • Kids’ support groups
  • Eight-week intensive crisis intervention program
  • Ongoing trainings and annual Adoption & Foster Care Conference
  • Lifetime access to post-adoption services

We've created a number of videos to answer questions about Project Wait No Longer-Older Child Adoption from Foster Care. Watch them all by clicking here.

Inquire about Children Waiting in Foster Care