[Robbin]

My hubby and I went into foster care ONLY wanting to foster. We both agreed no adoptions. Hubby compared us to a garage. They'll come in, we'll "tune" them up, and they'll move on. Both of us totally agreed to that. We fostered for several years, numerous children, some returned to family, some adopted. That was all we ever intended.

HOWEVER, when our foster son went up for adoption, we both said, "NO, we want him". It was not planned or intended. It came from our hearts. It was not a back door way to adopt. You cannot control what your heart does.

The "contract" is not as simple as I will do this, the agency will do that. You cannot forget how love enters into this equation. Foster parents, are by definition IMO, willing to open their hearts to loving children not theirs by birth, and there is always the "risk" that they will fall in love with the baby/toddler/child and not want them to leave.