We are a licensed agency that provides a full array of adoption services. Children can be adopted through us,
typically starting in foster care and working toward permanent adoption as the child stabilizes. We support families through all steps of the adoption process, often turning the case back to the State to help the family avoid unnecessary legal fees.
We can provide adoptive home studies for families who plan to adopt through a private agency. We also offer birth parent counseling and joint sessions with adoptive parents as needed. Below is more information about the adoption process:
All adoptive parents – either in our program or through another agency – must submit an application. We charge a $100 processing fee for each adult in the home, and any reapplications will be charged at this rate.
Every adoptive family in Montana must have a special evaluation of their family before they can be matched with a child. This evaluation is called a “home study,” and our staff is trained to provide this service. If you’re adopting through another agency, we will need to contact your agency prior to beginning your home study. In this case, we are not the child placing agency and cannot provide legal services.
The home study fee for families adopting through the Dan Fox Family Care Program is $300. The fee for other agency adoptions is $1,500.
We require all our adoptive parents to complete a professional adoptive training program. This 30-hour program is offered three times a year in six-week sessions. Each session covers a different topic presented in various formats.
We take the completed home study, along with a list of children waiting to be adopted, and work to make the best possible match between a child and family. This process can take time, but is essential in order for the adoption to be successful for both the child and your family. We only provide this service for adoptions handled through our program.
Once we have found a suitable match, we will place the child with your family as a foster care placement prior to the legal finalization of the adoption. During that time, a trained social worker will work closely with your family to help the process run as smoothly as possible. Again, we only provide this service for adoptions through our program.
Once an adoption of a child is finalized, we are available to help with any problems and difficulties that might arise. We can teach you how to recognize when you need help and how to access needed services in our community. Families who adopt a child outside our program may purchase post-placement reviews and reports for a fee of $300 per review/report. Your agency may require additional reports.
We will make appropriate and authorized amendments to a home study written by our program for an additional fee of $35/hr. We will also provide an annual update for a $300 fee. For families pursuing adoption outside our program, we charge an additional $35 per hour for each request of a particular child.
For more information about our Adoption Services contact:
Bill Neaves, Program Director, Dan Fox Family Care Program
515 S. Reserve Street, Suite 5
PO Box 7616
Missoula, MT 59807
Phone: (406) 541-1664
Fax: (406) 543-0356
bneaves@youthhomesmt.org
P.O. Box 7616
Missoula, MT 59807-7616
Telephone: (406) 721-2704
Fax: (406) 721-0034
Tax ID #: 81-0331313
