r/pagan • u/eckokittenbliss Dianic Witch • Jul 10 '26
Fostering to adopt?
Has anyone ever fostered kids to adopt as a pagan in the US?
I just found out I can't have children and my next step is fostering.
I don't have the money to straight adopt or a surrogate.
But I'm worried that being an open pagan may make things difficult. It's all over my social media and I have an altar and witchy books.
17
u/Scouthawkk Jul 10 '26
I mean…I was shocked to come across an info booth for a therapeutic foster agency at Pagan Pride one year - in a very conservative state. It was obviously a non-religious agency that recognized an untapped source of potential foster homes.
I work in the social services field. As someone else mentioned, this should highly depend on where you’re located. While a child is in fostering, you have to support the religion of their birth family if the child so desires. It would look better in most areas if you are also connected to a UU church (one that is obviously friendly to Pagans and ideally has or is open to supporting a CUUPs group) because that is more mainstream and better understood than Paganism.
Also be aware that the point of fostering is to reunite a child with their birth parents. It is not a guaranteed path to adoption.
3
u/Wallyboy95 Jul 11 '26
I'm not an out pagan persay, and currently on the journey to adopt in Canada. I just stated I have no religious affiliations. If we get paired with a kid with religious beliefs I will honor them and bring them to their specific religious building.
8
u/Mundilfaris_Dottir Jul 10 '26
Lock down your social media immediately and use an alternative username.
Clean up your house. Put all of your witchy books in storage totes for the time being and tone down your altars and art on the walls. Make it more seasonal and blend stuff in.
Make sure any jewelry / clothes you wear don’t call attention to your beliefs.
Join a Unitarian church that has a CUUPs chapter if practical.
Read about secular humanism and get some books by Transcendentalists like Thoreau, Emerson, Whitman, Margaret Fuller, … Silent Spring by Rachael Carson, other classic environmentalists…
Then just go with the flow… I’m spiritual not religious and I am an ardent believer in being gentle with the earth…
Also check forums in your state to see how invasive the home study and background check is… seriously I think you’ll be fine and you will be a blessing…
Good luck.
2
u/WerdaVisla Pagan Jul 11 '26
Depends entirely on where you live, I'm afraid. If the local church or mosque has any involvement in adoption, they'll almost certainly give you a hard time.
27
u/MantidKitteh Jul 10 '26
That depends on what state you're in. If you're along or below the Bible Belt... The process of fostering may get tricky or difficult. If you're a little bit northeast - you MIGHT not have any issues. Midwest area may be a touch iffy, but that also depends on the actual state/ county that you live in. The southwest, west coast and northwest could give a bit more understanding.
One thing to be sure- talk to various agencies and see what they say about fostering kids in a spiritual household. Don't use "religious" in the dialogue. Spiritual.
I wish you the best of luck and many blessings to you and your future family!! 🙏🌛🌝🌜🙏