[bjhv5]

Hello,
We are a new foster family (lisceneds in April) we want to be able to adopt out of all this and wonder I hear the terms legal risk,foster/adopt,straight foster what is the difference??
I asked during MAPP class and they told be there really wasnt that any placement is leagal risk and any home could be a foster/adopt home just depending on what happens with the child and bio parent.
We now have a 2y fs 14m fs and 2 week fd that we would love to adopt all 3 ( the 14mo& 2 week old are siblings) In our hearts they are ours at least for as long as GOD gives them to us.
Our first placement was a 5fd & her 3 yo brother we knew they would go to bio grandma but are now back in care mom is pg and the sw says she will tell us if there is a TPR.
SO CONFUSED!!!!

Deb

[MissyB9479]

legal risk means that the parents have not been TPR'd so that there is a risk of the child being reunified or placed with family. This agency only does legal risk; some states have straight adoption where the child wouldn't be in your home until after TPR and where you wouldn't have to worry about what would happen. These don't happen often and the wait can be quite long. And do not seem to be an option where you are.

Foster/adopt refers to the family's long term plans. Any foster family can adopt but some (like you) are hoping for an adoption and some are really not interested in the and just want to foster. So that's why some families may refer to them as foster/adopt (to show that they are willing or hopeful to adopt the children) or straight foster (to denote that they are more interested in the foster side of it and are not really looking into adoption).

[whiterhino42]

In Massachusetts there are kind of (blurry lines though) 3 tracks. One track is legally free where the parental rights have already been terminated and this child is free for adoption. These children tend to be sibling groups or older children but there are quite a few of them in my state. The second track is Foster with Goal of Adoption. This is a child that is legal risk because the birth parents rights have not been terminated HOWEVER the birth parent has not been following through with what they are supposed to so DSS is now seeking an adoptive family and pursuing termination of parental rights. The third track is legal risk with goal of reunification...these are the children they are still trying to reunite with their biological parents and the parents are on a plan and working towards a goal. These children can change to the next track if the parent is not following through.