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Originally Posted By barki

I understand all the responses, but I just have a question for Keagan: Is it really better to be in perpetual foster care? Some foster parents are willing to have a child live with them forever and will continue to be a family for that child throughout their (the child's and their own) lives. The legal status of a child isn't that important to them and they are family regardless.

BUT what about foster care drift, where there is no stable family and constant changes are the norm for the child? When they reach adulthood they have no family -- birth, foster or adopted -- to include in their lives. Is this really the best? Before you answer, think of all the times you've relied on your family in your adult life. Not for the major decisons, but to just have them to call to talk with, get that boost in moral, etc. Would no family as an adult be better than having a family of a different race, even with the difficulties?

Ok, that said, I DO get the picture of living with the unspoken slurs and the winks and nods. I agree with Pam, that we wouldn't adopt them if there were an African American family who was available for them. But those aren't generally the ones who are on the internet, waiting for homes, either. Children are placed on internet listings because they have already spent time waiting in their home state with no responses.

On a side note here, it's been difficult for me to see children that were waiting in our state listed on the internet. We still can't adopt them, but it hurts that we were looking for a child and couldn't take that one and save a year or so out of their waiting for a home.