[riley6]

When we started classes we told our trainer, who is also the foster placement worker, that our intention was to adopt our foster child. She said that they would try to place with me kids that had a strong possibility of going to tpr/adoption. The way they suspect this is that the kids had been in fc before and were RU, then brought back into fc, or that the bp's had other children tpr/adopted, or that the parents hadn't done anything for most of the year and the child had to be moved from their previous fh.

Our first child was considered foster/adopt (by this board's standards). We were her 7th fh in 3 yrs, this was her 2nd time in fc. After having her 6 months, tpr was granted. The bp's appealed and after we had her 9 months, she was free for adoption. We had planned to adopt, but her issues became too great for us and after a year we disrupted.

Our next child was considered foster/adopt, bc she had already been tpr'd, but her parents were appealing. Under the appeal, the judge gave the kids to an aunt who came forward at the last minute, after the kids had been in fc for 18 months.

We had about 10 more kids in the next two years. All either went to relatives or birth parents.

We then were placed with two sibling sets. Both had goals of RU, but our older kids were in fc for the second time (we were their 7th fh including respite), and our younger kids' had bp's with long histories and lots of issues. Both workers thought there was a chance the kids would eventually be tpr'd. We were doubtful, yet hopeful.

It turned out that two years later our kids were all free and three years later we adopted them.

Be sure to ask your worker how they determine which kids are straight foster and which are foster/adopt or legal risk. Each state calls them different things and label the kids using different criteria.

Good luck to you. It was a long, painful road for us, but WELL worth the journey!