Providing Permanent Homes and Lifelong Commitment

Foster-to-adopt parents are individuals or families who choose to become certified as foster parents with the intention of adopting children who are not yet legally free for adoption but whose permanency plan is adoption. This pathway offers the advantage of reducing the number of transitions a child may experience by allowing them to live with a prospective adoptive family before the adoption is finalized. It also provides an opportunity for the adoptive family to establish meaningful connections with birth parents or other relatives, which can be maintained in the future for the child's benefit.

In the foster-to-adopt process, relatives and current foster parents are typically given top priority when a child becomes legally freed for adoption. Many states now require families to be open to fostering if they wish to adopt from the foster care system, ensuring that children have the opportunity to develop strong relationships and bonds with their prospective adoptive families.

Recent data from the Children's Bureau highlights that a significant majority of children adopted from foster care, approximately 86 percent, find their permanent homes with relatives or foster parents. This statistic underscores the importance of these dedicated individuals and families in providing stable and loving environments for children in need of permanent families.