Has anyone adopted a 17 yr old before

[ThePowerMan]

I have a fc that is 17 yr old. She will turn 18 in Feb. 2009. We have had her for nearly a year now and have considered adopting her. Allittle history on us. My wife and I are college grads. We have one child of our own and another 2 yr old that is adopted. We plan for each of these children to go to college. The 17 yr old is anxious to go to college to become the first from her bio family that gets a college degree. She does excellent in school so that is NOT a worry for me.

My question is how will an adoption hurt her financially considering college. In our state of Alabama there are several scholarships available to her as long as she is a fc. I know there are pell grants and other grants out there but I am not sure of how that might effect them. With her being with us only this short time, it would be hard to help her with the entire college tuition like we would like to.

Anyone got any thoughts? How about the other side of this when considering what it would mean to her to really have a paper that says we are family. I have told her many times that blood and papers don't make a family. But I have never been on that side of the fence either.

[ramtim1972]

Hello,

I cannot offer expert advice but i can say that adoption will not take away from her being able to go to college. Check with either the DFS/CPS office or with the university itself about the rules. I learned after i left the Army that i could have went to college for free after being in foster care for 12 years.

And 17 is never too late to adopt, especially if this person has become a positive part of your family. Think about the roots you will offer and the chance to put a legacy behind. I found my forever home at 17 as well and adoption was not in the cards for me. However i present my foster family to my children as my own parents as well as my "foster sisters" children as nephews,nieces and cousins. Having different last names can be a sore point but the acceptance i have received liquidates any kind of opinion.

But check with the state and adopt if you feel it is what you and the young lady wish to do.

[beachbound]

thats great news, I not too familar with the laws with adopting a much older son or daughter...but I defintley agree that it shouldnt stop anyone from persueing their future plans

[ThePowerMan]

Thanks for the tip. The 17 yr old girl knows that she is part of our "forever family". She has been with us long enough to know that she is a positive part of our family. She gets along well with our other children. My wife and I are college grads and we desire all our kids to go to some sort of college after they finish HS. She calls us mom and dad. We, inturn, refer to her as our daughter. With our biological children we have a their lifetime to prepare fianancially for their college but with her........about a year. I just want to get the financial stuff right. She knows that there is more to being a family than blood or paper work. Thanks......

[sbeaton]

I am in Canada, and the rules may differ a little to financial assistance/college or university, but I have a neighbor who adopted her foster child at the age of 19 (legal age in the territory). This way, the child got to attend college with the financial assistance and received her adoption papers shortly after her 19th birthday....or course as an adult, the 19 year old has to agree.
I hope that helps!!