|
We initially were going to adopt through our church but felt strongly we needed to foster to adopt through our state. We've been foster parents for 2 1/2 years now and our family is growing dramatically in a short amount of tme. We just adopted our 5 year old boy in May 2004 and go in 4 days to finalize the adoption of our 6 month old girl that we have had since 5 days old. Now we are excited to set up the adoption day of our 2 1/2 year old that we've had since she was 14 months. We've also had 28 other foster kids within that time.
If you really want to adopt...my advice would be to not only finish the foster/adopt classes but go ahead and finish all the adoption papers and homestudies as well. Ask for children who are up for adoption or who will most likely come up for adoption.
The little boy we have was in fostercare 2 years before we go him. He was legally up for adoption and was coming out of a failed adoptive home when we snatched him up.
The baby girl we have was given up for adoption at birth but it was a high risk adoption so she was placed with us as foster parents first. We begged for her like crazy...and they decided to let us keep her rather than send her to an adoptive home.
Our 2 1/2 year old beautiful little girl was not even supposed to be in fostercare more than 2 weeks, when we took her in. The family placement didn't work out so her case started to become complicated and she almost went home to her bmom a week ago....after a year and a half at our home. Her case dramatically changed and her mom signed over her rights and says she really wants us to adopt her. We've wanted this little girl for so long and been on the emotional roller coaster of a lifetime.....and now in a few months....she should be ours.
So don't be afraid to take foster children who aren't up for adoption you never know how their cases will work out. I love all the foster children who have come into our home and I am so gratefull they were apart of my life...even for a little bit.
|