Maybe. Foster care is temporary care with the goal of reuniting the child with his birth family. Three out of four foster children do go home and foster parents are required to help the child successfully reunite with his birth parents. In the event that the child’s return home plan changes to adoption, the foster family may apply to adopt. Many adoptions in Kentucky are foster parent adoptions. In selecting adoptive families, the best interest of the child is always of the utmost importance. Therefore, many factors have to be considered. For example, does the child need to be adopted with his siblings who may be in other foster homes?
Many families choose to be approved for both adoption and foster care. Families are advised not to foster just so they can get a younger child. Remember, three out of four return to their birth families. However, with additional training families may become concurrent planning foster homes. This program uses risk assessments to try and predict which child is the one in four who will not return to the birth family. These foster parents are required to work with the birth parents to return the child, but if that does not occur within twelve months of entry into foster care, then the termination of parental rights are pursued and the foster family adopts the child. The program is designed to prevent harm to vulnerable young children by shifting the emotional risk to the adults. Not all families can accept the uncertainty of not knowing if they get to keep the child. Your R&C worker can help you in deciding whether to explore this option.