Adults Adopting Special Kids (AASK)

Connecting children with unique needs with families.

About Adults Adopting Special Kids

Building Forever Families Across North Dakota

Adults Adopting Special Kids (AASK) is a program of Catholic Charities North Dakota that helps children in the foster care system find safe, loving, and permanent families. All of the children we serve are waiting in foster care and need adults who can offer stability, patience, and compassion. Our role is to support both children and families through every step of the adoption journey and well beyond finalization.

Adoption through AASK is more than a placement. It is a lifelong commitment, and we are here to walk with you before, during, and after adoption.

What We Do

Changing Lives of Children

Complete Adoption Services

Foster care adoption services provides full adoption services from initial inquiry through finalization. Our team handles home studies, training, documentation, and coordination with agency partners to ensure a smooth, compliant process focused on the best outcome for each child.

Assistance for Children with Unique Needs

We support children with physical, emotional, developmental, and behavioral needs. Our specialists advocate for each child and help families understand how to provide the care, stability, and support children need to succeed.

Direction Throughout the Adoption Journey

Adoption can feel overwhelming, but families are never alone. AASK offers clear guidance, education, and ongoing communication at every stage, helping families move forward with confidence and informed decision-making.

Resources After Adoption

Support continues after an adoption is finalized. Families have access to post-adoption resources, referrals, education, and ongoing support through AASK and the North Dakota Post Adopt Network.

how the process works

Steps to Adoption

The adoptive process for children in the AASK Program is a step by step process that ensures the best decisions are made for the children. The decision of a specific child to be placed with a family is a team decision with the ultimate responsibility being with the child’s legal custodian.

Contact Us

Contact AASK to start your exciting journey to adoption.

Get Info

Receive info on the adoption process including testing, training, background checks, and references.

Home Assessment

Participate in a home assessment process.

Approval

If approved, become eligible to be matched with one of our many children waiting for a permanent home.

Inquire

Inquire on any child or sibling group nationally to determine with the custodian if your family would be a good fit for the children.

Adults Adopting Special Kids

Meet the Kids

Watch Our Video

Why choose adoption

Changing Lives Through Foster Care Adoption

Adopting a child from the foster care system is a life-changing experience for both the child and the family. Across North Dakota, children are waiting for permanent, loving homes where they can feel safe, supported, and understood. Reasons families choose foster care adoption include:

Providing a loving, stable home to a child in need
Helping a child grow, thrive, and reach their full potential
Forming a strong and meaningful lifelong bond
Growing personally through parenting and advocacy
Creating lasting, positive change in a child’s life

Adults adopting special kids

5 Myths About Adopting From Foster Care

Adopting from Foster Care is Too Hard

Each person has their own experiences with the child welfare system, but we can assure you that AASK Adoption Specialist are experts in their field and will partner with you every step of the way. They will help you gain an understanding of the foster care system and the adoption process, all while supporting you through the twists and turns of a child’s journey through foster care and adoption.

Adopting Younger Children is Easier than Adopting Teens

All children within the foster care system have experienced some level of trauma, regardless of the age they came into care. Teenagers are incredibly resilient and most of them long for a permanent, safe, and loving home. Adoptive parents have a chance to provide a sense of belonging to teens and give them a lifelong commitment that will change the trajectory of their lives.

There is No Support After Adoption

The North Dakota Post Adopt Network is a service that provides support to families who have adopted or currently provide guardianship for a child. The Post Adopt Network is a support system that offers a wide array of services and is completely free to you and your family. One extremely important component of any adoption or guardianship is the support network that families have as their child/ren continues to develop.

I Have to be Foster Care Licensed to Adopt

If a prospective adoptive family is interested in providing temporary care for children in foster care who have experienced trauma and loss, they can certainly become licensed to do so. However, it is not a requirement to be foster care licensed to adopt through the AASK Program. We work with all families throughout the state of North Dakota who are interested in being a forever family to children in need.

Adopting is Expensive

The upfront costs of adopting through the AASK Program are less than $500, though this is often reimbursed to families after adoptive placement. Most children in foster care qualify for adoption assistance. The Adoption Assistance Program was created to help secure and support safe and permanent adoptive families for children with special needs. It is designed to provide adoptive families of any economic level with needed services, including medical and financial support to care for children in foster care.

Adults adopting special kids FAQs

AASK Adoption FAQs

What qualifications do I need to adopt a child in foster care through Catholic Charities North Dakota?

To adopt a child from foster care through our program, you must be 21 years old, financially stable, pass a background check, and complete a home study. Most importantly, you need to be able to provide love, care, and support for a child with unique needs. We don’t require specific income levels or homeownership, but we do assess your ability to meet the child’s needs.

How long does the process of adopting from foster care usually take?

The timeline for adopting children from foster care depending on factors like the child’s specific needs and the adoptive family’s readiness. On average, the process can take 6 months to 2 years, and in some instances even longer. Catholic Charities North Dakota works hard to match children with suitable families quickly while ensuring the child’s best interests are met.

What kind of support does Catholic Charities North Dakota offer after the adoption is finalized?

Catholic Charities North Dakota provides ongoing support after adoption. This includes counseling, support groups, educational resources, and help accessing community services. Our team remains available to adoptive families long after the adoption, ensuring you have support as your family grows and changes.

How do I get started with adoption services?

Starting your adoption journey is simple. Contact our team to discuss your goals, family situation, and the type of adoption that works best for you. As a reliable adoption agency, ND, we make the process approachable while ensuring every child is matched with the right family.

Our Partners

Our Adoption Partners

Dave Thomas Foundation: Adults Adopting Special Kids is a proud partner of the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids® program, which is the signature program of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and establishes innovative co-investment partnerships with states to support the hiring of adoption recruiters who implement an evidence-based, child-focused recruitment model. This model has been proven to be up to three times more effective at finding permanent homes for children who have been lingering in foster care the longest.

If you are looking to adopt, many employers offer adoption benefits.
If your employer doesn’t offer adoption benefits, consider sharing this adoption benefits toolkit, which could help them create new policies.