Foster care and adoption are both viable options for starting or expanding your family. However, it is important to understand the pros and cons of each option before making a decision on what you want to do. After you have weighed your options you will be in a much stronger position to select the option that is right for you and your family.
Foster Care
Foster care is usually a temporary custody option for people interested in opening their homes to kids who need a family. Foster care requires the foster parent(s) to be screened, a homestudy to be conducted and in some cases for the foster parent(s) to be counseled. What makes foster care different from adoption is that the kids that enter your home are not technical yours, they are just put under your guardianship while their legal guardians deal with their own issues or while the parents debate whether or not to put their children up for adoption.
Pros of Foster Care
There are many advantages of selecting a foster care arrangement compared to adopting. The first advantage is that you get children much quicker through a foster care program then you do (usually) with an adoption. Secondly, foster care arrangements usually come with a month stipend that helps pay for the care of the child. Finally, you are given the opportunity to give many children a safe and loving home.
Cons of Foster Care
While there are many advantages of becoming a foster care parent, there are also drawbacks. First the children are not a legal part of your family. They can be taken away from you at any time, and without notice. Secondly, you aren’t as in control of the types of children that you receive. They could be infants, teens, special needs children or possibly even very ill children.
Adoption
Adoption is a process by which you gain legal guardianship of a child. They become legally your child and are entitled to all the benefits of being one of your biological child. The process of adoption can be complicated, however, once complete you will have a brand new and permanent member of your family.
Pros of Adoption
Adoption is a great option for people looking for a permanent addition to their family. Adoptions also provide prospective parents with the opportunity to select if they want a girl or a boy and sometimes even the age of the child that they want to adopt. Finally adoptions pair parents and children and create a new family unit.
Cons of Adoption
While adoption provides parents with the opportunity to expand their family, it can be a very long and complicated process. There is a lot of red tape involved in adopting a child, especially if you are interested in an international adoption. There can also be a lot of heartbreak involved in adopting a child. The birthmother may change her mind after the baby is born or the adoption may fall through for other reasons. Finally, adoptions can be very expensive. Some cost as little as $10,000 while others can cost upwards of $100,000 depending on the location of the child and the relationship that you have with the birthmother.
