Understanding the Difference Between Foster Care and Adoption
If you’re faced with an unplanned pregnancy, it’s vital to understand the options available to you. Learn the differences between foster care and adoption as you consider your baby’s future.
Dealing with an unplanned pregnancy can be extremely overwhelming. You may feel like you have no options and, as a result, delay making significant decisions about your baby’s life. Many mothers put off planning or considering their options because the situation is overwhelming. When they realize they are not in a position to raise their child, some mothers turn to foster care for help, but foster care is rarely the best option for a child.
Learn the reasons why foster care is not a path to consider when you’re deciding the future of your baby. A Guardian Angel is here to help you understand the options that are open to you.
What is Foster Care?
Parental Rights
Foster care is not the same as placing your baby for adoption. It is the last resort when a parent or guardian cannot safely care for their child. Children are only placed in foster care when they have experienced neglect, abuse or other unsafe circumstances.
When your child enters foster care, you will not have control over many decisions affecting your child’s life. This means that you will not be able to select the adoptive parents or future home of your baby. Many children end up staying with several foster families and do not have a stable home life.
Foster Care Process
The foster care process begins when child protective services remove the child from their home. Next, a state-assigned social worker assesses the child’s needs, and the search for a foster family or group home begins. A court-appointed case worker will make decisions that determine your child’s future. The goal of foster care is either reunification with biological parents or a permanent placement with an adoptive family. When reunification is not an option, many foster children age out of the foster care system without a family.
Newborn Adoption
Parental Rights
Choosing adoption means that you have the ability to make decisions about your baby’s life. An agency will prioritize your desires and hopes and your child’s needs. If you select A Guardian Angel as your adoption agency, we’ll walk you through every step of this process. When a mother chooses to place her baby for adoption, she consents to relinquish her parental rights. This does not mean she will never see her baby again, it means she has chosen the family that will raise her baby.
Choosing an Adoptive Family
When you choose adoption, you get to select your baby’s adoptive family. You’ll review prospective families and select the one that perfectly fits your qualifications. You are in control of the family you want your baby to go to. At A Guardian Angel Adoptions, our waiting families have gone through a rigorous process of background checks and in-home visits, so you can be sure that your child has a safe and loving home. If you want to, you will get to meet or talk with the family to get to know them before making your final decision. Next, you’ll choose whether you want to have a closed, semi-open or open adoption. These options determine how much contact you will have with your baby and the adoptive parents after placement.
Begin the Adoption Process Today
Don’t let the surprise of an unplanned pregnancy keep you from planning for your baby’s future. With adoption through A Guardian Angel, you will always have someone to walk you through this process and support you along the entire journey.
A Guardian Angel has many resources to help both adoptive parents and birth mothers understand the process of adoption. We’ll ensure that you are fully informed and able to make the best decision for both you and your baby’s future.
Learn more about A Guardian Angel’s services and contact us today for help with your adoption process. Call (877) 742-6435 or text us at (206)-360-0020