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c.a. gave you a good answer. Just to add to that:
To some extent, the answer to your question also depends upon the state you live in. In some states, there is a different process to certify fost-adopt parents and yes, they will place children with you that they believe will need to be adopted. In other states, they do not handle cases this way. You simply become a foster parent and, if a child in your care ends up needing an adoptive home (the case goes to TPR and there are no relatives who come forward to adopt) then you are given the option to adopt the child. So you will want to ask your social worker how it works in your area.
In my state, CA, we were certified as fost-adopt parents and we were asked what level of legal risk we were open to. BUT - there is always a risk, even if the case initially looks straightforward.
My son was placed with us as a risk-adopt placement when he was 3 months old. TPR was filed when he was 8 months old and we have a date to finalize his adoption shortly after his first birthday. This is an unusually short timeline - but it does happen. How open you are in terms of age, gender, race, drug exposure, a parent's mental illness, etc. will also have an impact on the length of time you will wait for a placement.
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