Choosing life means walking with children and families beyond birth. This page offers clear, practical information for anyone considering adoption or foster care in Massachusetts. Whether you're exploring the differences, ready to take the next step, or looking for support, these resources are here to guide and encourage you on the path to providing a safe, loving home.
What’s the difference between foster care and adoption?
| Aspect | Foster Care | Adoption |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Temporary care while working toward reunification or another permanent plan | Permanent, legal family relationship |
| Legal Rights | Foster parents provide care, but do not have full parental rights | Adoptive parents gain full legal parental rights |
| Duration | Temporary (can last months or years) | Permanent (child becomes a legal family member) |
| Support | Financial assistance, training, and ongoing support | May receive post-adoption support and subsidies |
Who can become an adoptive or foster care parent?
In Massachusetts, individuals and families from all walks of life can open their hearts and homes to children waiting for love, stability, and care. Whether you're single or married, rent or own, what matters most is your commitment to providing a safe and nurturing environment.
To be eligible, you must:
- Be a Massachusetts resident, 18 years or older
- Have a stable income
- Own or rent a home that meets safety standards set by DCF
- Complete a background check (for all household members age 14 and older)
How does the process work?
Whether you pursue adoption or foster care, the first steps are similar:
1. Background and home safety checks
DCF will review criminal records and visit your home to ensure it meets safety requirements.
2. Training
You’ll attend the Massachusetts Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) program, which helps prepare you to care for children who may have experienced loss or trauma.
3. Home study
A social worker will visit your home, talk with your family, and create a written assessment recommending the best path forward—either fostering or adoption.
After approval, your journey depends on which path you take:
If you choose foster care:
- You may be called anytime to provide temporary care for a child.
- DCF offers financial assistance and regular check-ins to support you.
- The goal is usually reunification with the birth family, but sometimes the child becomes eligible for adoption.
If you choose adoption:
- You’ll be matched with a child who is legally free (or in the process of becoming free) for adoption.
- You’ll receive information about the child and have a chance to meet and bond before placement.
- Once adopted, the child becomes a legal and permanent part of your family.
Support
Massachusetts offers practical help to ensure that children thrive and families feel equipped, encouraged, and never abandoned in their mission to protect and nurture life.
For foster parents
- Financial assistance: Daily reimbursement, clothing stipends, birthday and holiday support
- Health coverage: All foster children are covered under MassHealth
- Extra help: Access to childcare, WIC, school lunches, and enrichment through Wonderfund
- Ongoing connection: Regular contact with DCF social workers and support teams
For adoptive parents
- Adoption subsidies: Financial support may continue if you adopt from foster care
- Health coverage: Many adopted children qualify for MassHealth
- Long-term support: Access to post-adoption services, including counseling, peer support, and resources for growing families
Considering the next step?
Adoption and foster care are life-affirming alternatives that offer hope not only to children but also to the families who open their hearts to them. These paths reflect a deep commitment to the dignity of every human life, born and unborn.
While no one is expected to be perfect, what matters is a willingness to care—a readiness to provide love, consistency, and a sense of belonging. For those who feel called, even one step forward can change a life forever.
To begin exploring:
Private organizations
Here are some private organizations that offer support and resources for individuals considering adoption or foster care:
- Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE): MARE is a private nonprofit that works to find adoptive homes for children and teens in foster care.
- The Home for Little Wanderers: foster care and adoption programs.
- Boys Town New England
State support
Choosing to foster or adopt is a powerful way to embody the pro-life belief that every life has value—and that every child is worthy of a family.