Program Description
A Giving Tree Adoptions, Inc., (AGTA) is a private and fully licensed Idaho non-profit agency providing adoption services in Idaho necessary to complete U.S. Infant adoptions and adoptions from the U.S. Foster Care System. We operate exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. The mission of AGTA is to ensure every child is placed in a loving and supportive home and to prepare
parents for the journey of parenting. To meet this mission, we provide adoptive services for parents placing their children in adoption, to families seeking to adopt a child/children, and to children who have been adopted. To prepare adoptive parents, we provide training and educational support. To support birth parents, we provide options counselling, financial assistance, and support prior to,
during and after delivery. Our goal for each birth parent is to prepare them for a successful life after placement. Adoptable children are our first and main priority; we screen and prepare all individuals
with our mission in mind. Everyone in the adoption journey has access to individual, couples, and family counseling through AGTA. We believe that income should not be the sole cause of disqualification for adoptive parents; therefore, as a means to provide services to lower income individuals, we operate on a sliding scale fee. Together, we place a great deal of value on advocating
for the children placed in our care, especially children who are part of the United States Foster Care System.
We offer our services on a sliding scale so that low and middle income families are not barred from the adoption process because of over-burdening costs. This sliding scale places a greater burden on higher income families and on AGTA, as we underwrite the actual adoption costs for lower income
families. For those who will pay more, fees help subsidize services for children in need.
Infant Adoption Program
Must be at least twenty five (25) years of age or fifteen (15) years older than the child they are adopting;
The maximum age for adopting an infant is forty-five (45) years of age;
Parents cannot have been convicted of child abuse or neglect, spousal abuse, a crime against children, animal
abuse, or homicide;
Parents must be able to pass an enhanced criminal background check;
Adoptive parents can be single, married or divorced. Married or coupled adoptive parents must have been in a
relationship for no fewer than two years prior to the date of the application;
Be able to financially support their family (including the child/children whom they hope to adopt) and;
Own, rent, or reside in a safe residence with space for adopted child/children, and;
Have lived in Idaho for no fewer than six (6) months prior to the application and to have obtained Idaho residency
(verified by a State of Idaho Driver’s License);
Be healthy emotionally, physically, and mentally as evidenced by an evaluation provided by a medical
professional
Eligibility:
Referrals for comprehensive trainings;
Counselling;
Assistance in creating family profile;
Home study reports and post placement supervision;
Support for adoptive families during and after the birth of the child, as well as relationship assistance between
adoptive parents and birth parents.
AGTA provides the following:
Submitting application - up to you!
Gathering of home study documentation (including the completion of training) - up to you!
Home study and education process - two (2) to six (6) months
Placement of a child in your home - one (1) week to three (3) years
General Length of the Adoption Process:
Home Study Process:
We will make every attempt to assign families near workers; however, when this is not possible, the caseworker will be
paid $0.50 cents per mile outside a 25 mile radius of the caseworker’s home address.
Post Placement Reporting:
Post-placement reports are completed within the first four weeks of placement, at the third month, and again at the
fifth month. There are times when the placing state has additional reporting expectations.
Foster Adoption Program
Must be at least twenty five (25) years of age or fifteen (15) years older than the child they are adopting;
The maximum age is fifty five (55) years old;
Parents cannot have been convicted of child abuse or neglect, spousal abuse, a crime against children, animal
abuse, or homicide;
Parents must be able to pass an enhanced criminal background check;
Adoptive parents can be single, married or divorced. Married or coupled adoptive parents must have been in a
relationship for no fewer than two years prior to the date of the application;
Be able to financially support their family (including the child/children whom they hope to adopt) and;
Own, rent, or reside in a safe residence with space for adopted child/children, and;
Have lived in Idaho for no fewer than six (6) months prior to the application and to have obtained Idaho residency
(verified by a State of Idaho Driver’s License);
Be healthy emotionally, physically, and mentally as evidenced by an evaluation provided by a medical
professional;
Children currently in the home must be at least six (6) years old at the time of application.
Eligibility for adoption:
Education and support;
Assistance with locating child or sibling group;
Post-placement support and counseling for children;
Home study reporting, social investigative reports (SIR), and post-placement reporting;
Assistance with transitioning child(ren) from foster home to adoptive family;
Foster parent support group
AGTA Provides the following:
Submitting application - up to you!
Gathering of home study documentation (including the completion of training) - up to you!
Home study and education process - 2 to 6 months
Placement of a child in your home - 6 months to 3 years
General Length of the Adoption Program:
Home Study Process:
We will make every attempt to assign families near workers; however, when this is not possible, the caseworker will be
paid $0.50 cents per mile outside a 25 mile radius of the case workers home address.
Post Placement Reporting:
Completed monthly for 6 months until finalization
International Partnership Program
We contract with licensed and Hague accredited agencies to complete home study reports and post placement reports for
international adoptions.
Determined by international agency
Eligibility:
Home Study;
Education and support by program coordinators;
Post placement support and counseling for children;
Assistance with transitioning children from their origin country to their adoptive family.
Services Provided:
Home study and education process - 2 to 6 months
Placement - varies by international program
Services for Biological Parents
Must be the biological parents of the child being placed for adoption, as evidenced by state issued certificate of
live birth and/or through accepted methods of determining paternity;
Must be willing and prepared to terminate parental rights in a timely manner;
Must be willing to complete introductory form as well as provide personal, physical and psychological
information.
Eligibility:
Options in counselling;
Guidance in creating an adoption plan;
Relationship assistance with family;
Legal support;
Hospital support;
Access to Birth Parent support group;
Living and medical expense coverage.
AGTA Provides the following to Biological Parents:
Both parents are encouraged to apply for a scholarship to assist in funding their educational institution.
Services for Adoptive Children
Must be legally free to be placed for adoption;
Parental rights have been terminated, or;
Biological parents of the child must be willing and prepared to terminate parental rights in a timely manner;
The child must enter the AGTA program with sufficient background information to determine that they can be
appropriately served by AGTA;
In case of emergency placements, all the available information on the child must be provided to AGTA within
seven (7) calendar days of the child's admission or placement;
The child must be under the age of eighteen (18) years old;
The child must have been born or will be born in the United States;
To be accommodating of cultural sensitivity, AGTA will ensure the child is placed in a home where they are
comfortable and can relate or have access to their culture.
Other Important Details
Income limitations for the number of family members;
Deceptional reporting of information provided by adoptive family;
An adoptive parent was found to be unsuitable for parenthood;
Supported or significant claims in background check (including criminal history clearances, Child
Protective Services, and any available source of information);
Information provided from references in which there are significant concerns regarding an individuals ability to parent an adopted child; Identified failings in suitability criteria; Applicant found suited to adopt but for whom a child cannot be found; Just not a good fit between AGTA and the adoptive parents.
When things and relationships end…and how to know: In gathering information for home studies, sometimes it is discovered that families do not meet the qualifications for adoption. If this is the case, you will be notified immediately of why. Reasons for not qualifying include, but are not limited to the following:
Legally Free to Adopt!
To ensure that a child is legally free for adoption, in the case of an infant adoption, the Adoption
Placement and Finalization Coordinator works with birth parents and with legal counsel to create an adoption plan and to follow protocol necessary for termination of parental rights; To ensure that a child is legally free for adoption, in the case of adoption from the US Foster Care System, the Adoption Placement and Finalization Coordinator works with the child’s referring agency or
the state-specific foster care program manager to only place in adoptive homes children whose biological parents rights have been terminated or will be terminated once an adoptive family has been identified; In the case of intercountry adoption, the Adoption Placement and Finalization Coordinator works with the intercountry agency to obtain verification from the child’s country of origin that all USCIS criteria are met and that the child will be approved to enter the United States as a legal orphan.