DEAR FRIENDS,
Since 2000, Adopce.com has been helping those interested in adoption and foster care
in the Czech Republic answer questions about the process and navigate them through
their journey. Together with the Center for Adopting and Foster Care, we are pleased to
be your guide during this period when you are considering giving a child a new home.

Providing a loving and safe environment for every child
has been the mission of the Tereza Maxová Foundation since 1997.

Thank you for fulfilling it with us.
I wish you all the best.

From the bottom of my heart, Tereza Maxová

What do I need to know and think about before I decide to give a home to a child who cannot grow up in his own family? What forms of substitute family care exist in the Czech Republic? What does this journey involve, what rules and procedures will I encounter along the way, and how long does it take? What criteria do I have to meet to be included among the registered applicants for adoption or foster care? Does the state support foster parents financially? What determines whether a child can be adopted or taken into foster care? How does the principle of protecting the best interests of a child play in practice? What does the acronym "OSPOD" (child protective services) mean and what is its role in the field of adoption and foster care? Which organizations in my region can provide me with support and professional advice?

How does adoption happen? What should I do and how should I prepare? Who will assess whether I am a suitable applicant? What does the duration of mediation depend on and can I influence it? Which children are placed in adoption? Under what conditions does adoption from abroad take place? After adoption, will the child be really ours? What are my rights and obligations as an adoptive parents? What is my right and what is my duty? Will I know what to do? And if not, where can I turn for help?

What is the difference between fostering and adopting? What does mediated and non-mediated foster care mean? Can the biological parents interfere with the relationship between me and the child? What is the court's job in a foster care case? Where can I get certified as a foster parent? Are there organizations that help families with children in foster care? What financial support can I expect from the state? How long can a child be under foster care? How is temporary foster care different than a long-term foster care, and can I possibly do it as my job?