November is National Adoption Month. November 21st is National Adoption Day. Each year thousands of foster children in our country are adopted. Over 64,000 foster children were adopted in 2019 (The AFCARS Report) as reported by the federal government. 26% of our foster children nationwide were adopted to discharge out of foster care in 2019.
We applaud our caring adults that make this permanent commitment to adopt our foster children. Many of the adults adopting foster children became foster parents to possibly adopt children. Others were approved to adopt children that were already waiting to be adopted. Many adopted children that they were already fostering at the time the child became available to adopt.
It is critical to note that the journey to adoption for the vast majority of theIn 2017 new legislation was passed in California. All caregivers for foster children are now resourcese children began with a case plan of family reunification. Foster care is designed to be a temporary parent and child separation. The primary goal of foster care is to make every reasonable effort to first mend the wounds in the child’s family of origin to then safely return that child back to their family. These efforts by the court and the local Child Welfare Agency is time limited. If family reunification is not possible then a second plan for permanency is put into action. Adoption is the most permanent plan and the preferred plan for a child that is not reuniting with their family.
In 2017 new legislation was passed in California. All caregivers for foster children are now resource families. Resource families are certified by County Child Welfare Agencies and state licensed foster family agencies under a uniform statewide method called Resource Family Approval. All resource families may be approved for adoption prior to having a child placed with them regardless of the case plan—foster care or permanency.
We may now approve our resource families to adopt our foster children so the adoption process is faster later. The big question is how open to fostering children are our caregivers when not knowing, at the time of placement, if the child shall become adoptable later? Foster to adopt for caregivers may mean one thing and in practical terms may actually be something different. Yes, there are children waiting to become adopted—no question. However, the vast majority of the children needing immediate homes are in a temporary situation not knowing what will happen to them.
The resource family design is to reduce the number of homes a child may live in and reduce trauma. Moving children from one home to another home we know is very damaging to children. The goal is to have one resource family care for the child from the start of their foster care experience until the end. The child’s case may end with family reunification or it may end with adoption. Ideally, fostering to adopt means caring for children based on what is in their best interest. This is determined on a case by case basis and is practically defined by the case plan.
Foster care in the eyes of the child is different than it is for an adult. A week, month, and certainly a year feel like a permanent separation from their family and community. Foster care is viewed differently by others particularly adults. We, adults, have a different lens to view the world and may not recognize our many assumptions. It is possible to bridge these worlds.
Many caring, well intentioned, and sensitive adults enter fostering to adopt with a different expectation. This expectation may include a desire be to build their family by adopting a foster child in need of a home. This is wonderful. This expectation may not include the understanding that not each foster child placed into a resource family home needs to be adopted. Or we will not know the need for adoption for many months later. Or that the infant that may need to be adopted has an 8-year old sister also needing to be adopted and we cannot ethically separate them.
Every resource family, every person does have limits of course. However, I am the eternal optimist. I believe that every resource family and every adult has a great capacity to improve and grow. I also believe each adult that reaches out to Beta Foster Care with an open mind about fostering to adopt has greater untapped potential than they realize. I pledge to meet with each family and help them discover their potential. Together we may expand homes for children both temporarily and permanently—we all need to be open to learn from one another.