What is an Adopt-Foster parent?

The majority of families that contact Families Like Ours are interested in adopting a child from the foster care system. This makes you an adopt-foster family. You’ll more often hear this called a Foster-Adopt family. We’re changing that.

Families that have the goal of adoption are just that, an adoptive family. The fact that the child they are in the process of adopting is in the state foster care system adds the “foster” part of the process. But since the goal is adoption, let’s just call it wait it is - Adopt-Foster. Adopt-Foster families do not think of themselves as foster families. As an adoptive family you hold a foster license as apart of your adoption process. Foster families tend to enter the system with the goal of short term care for children, not a life long commitment to adopt a child.

It is however important to remember that nothing is 100 percent until the judge says your adoption has been finalized. As an Adopt-Foster family you enter the system understanding that you may obtain a non-legally free child, that could (or could not) become available for adoption. This is called legal risk. Keep in mind that you are in fact part of the team with the goal of reunification if at all possible, just like a non-adoptive family.