[aclee]

Adoption through the state and foster care in my state are kept separate. When we were first looking to adopt, we were going to go through foster/adopt, but then we realized we had to pick one or the other. It was too confusing, and upsetting to try and figure out, so we went private...next time around though, we will use the state (financially, we can't do a private adoption again) so I was just looking for feedback from those in states that might also keep these separate (I'm in MA) I do genuinely want to foster, but would also like to be considered to adopt. It's hard to chose...very confusing. Any advice would be great! Thanks!

[Withay]

What happens in your state if you are fostering a child and tpr happens. Do they not let you have a chance at adopting that child?

[TxMom65]

I never did understand the difference, but ours was pretty much the difference in checking a box. Everything was the same except what you chose to do. I think you could go straight adoption, foster/adopt or foster.

[aclee]

Originally Posted by Withay

What happens in your state if you are fostering a child and tpr happens. Do they not let you have a chance at adopting that child?

I think you do get a priority in adopting that child first. The only children you would miss out on would be legally free children, or children who have an immediate TPR goal. So if there was a safe haven baby for example, we wouldn't be considered. If there was a newborn removed for drug use, we could be placed with that baby and then after a year (they have said that "all"
children have a final goal by 12 months...yeah right) the parents were not following the plan, we could adopt.

In MA, it's two completely separate SW and everything. Two different departments even. I do want to do both, but I do see why they have it seperate...they feel it's hard for a parent whose goal is adoption to support a reunification plan for children in their care. Big deal, that's part of the job....Thousands of parents do it everyday...why do *I* get stuck in a state that can't see that. It's not like they have foster parents coming out their ears, so they need to be choosey....

It's sounding like mine is the only state that works like this, so I guess I'm looking for people that were involved in either the foster care or state adoption in MA...what choice did you make, and how did that go?

Thanks so much!

[MPJJJ]

From what I have heard from my CW, Michigan is a foster only state. There are no "foster to adopt" programs. If tpr happens, a foster parent will be considered for adoption.

If one wants to just adopt, they would have to go through a seperate process and department, and you only start the process after you have been matched with a child. Younger children are very rarely available for straight adoption, because they are usually adopted by their foster parents.