Differences Between Adoption And Foster Care You Should Know
Posted on: 10 August 2022
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Being an adoptive or foster parent is a choice that takes thought and devotion. If you are starting down the road of becoming a foster parent or are interested in child adoption, you may wonder what the differences between the two are. Here are some of the differences between adoption and foster care and what you need to know about each one. Knowing these differences can help you make the right choice for you on how you want to proceed.
Parental Rights
The first question that comes up with many families concerns parental rights. You may be wondering what sort of rights you have. As a foster parent, you are working with the local family court system. The idea of foster care is the reunification of the child or children and the parent. This means all choices are made by yourself, the court system, and the parents of the child. When you choose child adoption, you gain all rights to the child. You become the child or children's parent. You are then legally responsible for the child just as if you were the birth parent.
Training
When you choose to be an adoptive parent, there is little training to go along with the process. However, if you choose to become a foster parent, you will undergo several types of training. For example, as a foster parent, you will likely help many children during your time as a foster household. This means you will need to have emotional training to help with the loss, anger, and other emotions the children may feel when they enter your home. Child adoption ensures you are trained to understand the process and your rights once the adoption is completed.
Adoption After Fostering
There are some cases where you, as the foster parent, may be able to adopt the child or children in your care. This process occurs when the child may not be able to reunify with the birth parents. If there is no reunification and there are also no grandparents or other relatives who can take care of the child, the child will then be eligible for adoption by you. Many foster families find themselves adopting children in their care at some point.
These are just a few of the differences between child adoption and providing foster care. If you are ready to proceed with either fostering or child adoption, contact your local agency. They can walk you through the process and ensure your home and you are ready to move forward. They can also answer any questions you have regarding the process.
For more information, contact a local organization like The Up Center.