Foster to Adopt

Many children in foster care are placed with foster families who are also approved and willing to adopt. These families are called foster/adoptive families. A committee must approve the placement of the child, and the child`s legal availability for adoption cannot be guaranteed to the prospective adoptive family. Foster/adoptive families are asked to work toward returning children home, but they are willing to make a permanent commitment in the event that the child`s final goal becomes adoption. All families (foster only or foster/adoptive) go through the same pre-service training, application and licensure process.

Examples of children placed in foster care who may be screened for placement in a foster/adoptive home:

• an abandoned child,
• a child for whom a termination of parental rights petition has been filed,
• a child under the age of five,
• a child with a history of previous foster care placements, or
• a child who has been severely abused or neglected
• a child has a concurrent plan.