[Momoftwoboyz]

Hi all.. new here. I am wondering what the chances are of adopting a baby that has been exposed/addicited. My husband and I are thinking about going this route, but we are still learning all we can until we finish our license. Are these little ones usually placed as foster only? COncurrent planning? Seems to me that doing drugs while pregnant is one of the worst forms of abuse. If the parent gets "clean" do they return the child? I can see both sides. If the parent gets clean, works her plan, etc, do they just forgive the abuse that she inflicted while pregnant?
Sorry if that sounds judgmental, I know as foster parents, RU is in the best interest of the child in most cases, but abuse is abuse, and to subject your growing baby to toxic substances is one of the worse forms of child abuse! From my reading here, it seems a lot of you adopted your exposed infants, so Im just curious how many are able to go back home successfully.

[BethanyB]

All children taken into care through the foster care system are abused. Whether it's physical, emotional or even neglect. And yes, most parents are given a plan for the chance at ru.

If a child has been exposed or addicted to drugs at birth, that childs parents will be given a plan and a chance to get their child back. Only time will tell if they can change and can become responsible parents again.

[jmd5294]

I personally haven't seen a drug addicted bp get clean and get their baby back in the 5+ years we've been fostering--that includes the 15 kids that have gone through our home (obviously not all were infants of drug addicted bps) plus all of my "IRL" foster parent friends' fks.

Not that it doesn't happen, because I've heard online, on msg boards, etc, from people who saw it happen. But I think chances are slim that many of the drug exposed infants will go home to bios.

[Larue]

Our DD-2 was born exposed and placed with us as a newborn. Goal was RU, then concurrent RU/Adoption with primary goal being RU, then concurrent RU/Adoption with primary goal being Adoption. 2 years after she was placed with us TPR occurred and we finalized her adoption a few months later. In our area, 2 years is the average amount of time it takes to go through the process if you're placed with an infant. Some States have faster timeframes because they don't give the birth parents as much time to complete a case plan. In our State they get a minimum of 12 months, and there are often extensions.

Although birth parents may not be able to "get clean", there is always the possibility of a family member coming forward to seek custody. This happended in our case sevreral times, although in the end DD stayed with us. With foster-adopt anything and everything can happen...even with a "low risk" legal placement.

The foster care support board on this forum is also a wealth of information. Best wishes in your journey!

[Longing2bMom]

In my area we do have alot of infants coming into the system drug exposed and many do go on to get adopted. However, my area tends to move very fast on a permanency plan for children under age 3 and this makes RU much less likely since the birth parents have to get their act together very quickly and few drug addicts do. I think that is a good thing because I do not believe there really are very many successful reunions where drug addicts are concerned (or in foster care in general). Yes, the children may go home, but only to re-enter the system later when they are older and even more damaged. Or worse, slip through the cracks and be left to live in a dangerous or subpar home.

[Barksum]

Some of my foster children did go back to parents. Some of those who RU'd with parents also came back into care...then where RU'd again...then back into care, and last I heard were RU'd again. I quit asking after that.

We adopted from foster care, but did not foster to adopt, or adopt any of the foster children placed with us. All of the children we adopted were legally free for adoption. All were prenatally exposed. One had been RU'd briefly with bio mom.

Wait...what was the question? Oh. Sometimes bio parents ARE able to get clean within the ASFA timelines. Sometimes it does happen that kids are successfully RU with their parents. I don't know the stats, though.