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Anna, someone's given you slightly incorrect information about the ASFA law. It does not require an adoption plan, it requires a *permanency* plan. That can be for adoption, return to bio parents, guardianship, long-term foster care, just about anything. The ASFA doesn't require an adoption plan at any time. (And besides, there are no "teeth" to the law. No penalties, no reporting, etc. It is regularly ignored without anything happening. So even though the law exists, it is not often followed. Plus, there isn't anything that says they can't change the permanency plan anytime they want. It's essentially a useless law, although it's quoted anytime it happens to agree with what the worker or judge wants to do anyway.)
Mommy-of-3, this is indeed one of the most difficult parts of the foster-adopt programs. The chance, or liklihood, of the child being returned to biological family. That's what foster families do, and that's the point your family is still at.
Mom gets to take another psychological exam because there is always the chance the first one was flawed, or that her mental state has improved since the time of the last one. The mom will get multiple chances on everything.
Relatives like the great-aunt are almost always given preference over a foster family. State laws differ on this, there may be a point in time at which the foster family's bonding to the child is considered more important than the biol family's genetic tie to the child. Some states declare that at a year or two of the child being in the home, others never declare it or pick other time limits.
This is HARD. But this is foster parenting. Hold on tight, because this is going to be a bumpy ride for you as they extend the chances mom gets and decide if the great-aunt has passed her homestudy and if the genetic tie outweighs the bonding tie for the child.
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