Adoption through the foster care system

Choosing to adopt a child is a major decision. Taking a child into your home can have an emotional impact on you and the child. Yet, knowing that you are giving a home to a child in need can give life purpose and spread happiness amongst your family. Although making the decision to adopt can be tough, those in Louisiana who choose to adopt have many other choices to make moving forward.

One of those decisions is whether they want to adopt through the foster care system or go another route. Foster children, who are wards of the state through no fault of their own, only return to their birth parents in half of all cases. Although other forms of adoption may allow an individual to adopt a baby, foster care adoptions often involve older children, from toddlers to teenagers. Additionally, many foster children have been subjected to trauma, meaning that an adoptive family needs to be prepared to effectively understand and help the child they are adopting.

Many individuals who adopt through the foster care system choose to be foster parents first. This gives them experience interacting with foster children and allows them the time to obtain the training they need in order to adopt. Being a foster parent first can also allow the adoptive parents and child to bond before making the permanent decision to adopt.

There are drawbacks to adopting through the foster care system, though. The biggest may be the fact that foster children may be returned to their parents, even after a strong bond has formed between the child and the foster parents.

So, again, the decision here is difficult. Those who wish to learn more about foster care adoptions, including the process and legalities, may want to contact an experienced family law attorney of their choosing.

Source: Adopt US Kids, “About adoption from foster care,” accessed on Feb. 3, 2017