What is a waiting child, and how does matching work?
Differs by state or province
This is the stage most misunderstood, and the one where
misleading language does the most damage.
An honest note on the term itself
How matching actually works
The decision is led by the child’s
caseworker, working with a team that sometimes includes the
child or the sibling group themselves. They review shortened
versions of home studies and family profiles.
Selection is made solely on the needs of the child, and
not on which family’s home study was submitted first. Your
own caseworker acts as your advocate in that process, and child
caseworkers generally prefer to communicate with them rather than
with you directly in the early phases.
Once a family is selected you receive detailed information about
the child and time to ask questions before meeting them. Use that
time properly. Inadequate information sharing about a child’s
history is an identified risk factor for a placement breaking down
later.
Photolistings
AdoptUSKids runs a national photolisting with more than
5,000 children. Approved families can search it, save lists and
contact caseworkers, and registered families can build a profile
that appears in caseworker searches. States run their own
photolistings and regional exchanges as well.
How to tell a genuine organisation from a scam
Only the licensed body for your area can match you with a
child, place a child, expedite an application or approve anyone. No
NGO can, ourselves included, so if an organisation tells you
otherwise, check its licensing status with your state or province
before going a step further.
What we do is everything around that: explaining how matching
actually works, helping you build a profile that reads well, and
telling you what to expect at each stage.
Getting the answer for your area
Eligibility, timelines and money are set locally, and
they are finally confirmed by the licensed agency for your state or
province. We can tell you what those rules currently say where you
live, what they will mean in practice for your household, and what
to have ready before you speak to anyone.
Talk to us first. Tell us which state or province you
are in and what you are trying to decide, and we will explain what applies
where you live, what the next step is, and what to expect from it. There is
no cost and no obligation. Contact Foster Care
Adoption Home, or start your application
when you are ready.
Everything on this page is checked against the official source for each
jurisdiction, and those sources are listed below so you can read the wording
for yourself. We would rather you have both: our explanation of what it
means, and the original to confirm it against.
United States. AdoptUSKids publishes a page for every
state, plus DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Cherokee
Nation, naming the responsible agency in each.
Read the state pages.
Canada. There is no national system, so the rules are
published province by province:
- Ontario, Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. Local body: a children’s aid society.
- British Columbia, Adopt BC Kids, MCFD.
- Alberta, Children and Family Services.
- Quebec, Director of Youth Protection, via the Banque mixte programme.
- Manitoba, Department of Families.
- Saskatchewan, Ministry of Social Services.
- Nova Scotia, Department of Community Services.
If your province is not listed here we have not finished verifying it, and
we would rather say so than guess. Ask us and we will find the current
answer for you. The Adoption Council of Canada
is the national umbrella body, though it is not a regulator.
Sources
- AdoptUSKids, being matched with a child
- AdoptUSKids, frequently asked questions
- Washington DCYF, steps to adoption
Facts on this page were checked against the sources above on 20 August 2026. Rules change. If you are making a decision, confirm the detail with the agency responsible for your area.
