What is a foster-to-adopt program?

A foster-to-adopt program is an adoption process in Pennsylvania in which a family provides foster care to a child and can then adopt them after a certain amount of time. This process is sometimes referred to as concurrent planning or concurrent fostering. Under Pennsylvania adoption law, the foster-to-adopt process begins when a family is approved to become a foster parent. If the foster parents decide to pursue adoption, the county children and youth agency will perform a home study a few months after the placement of the child in the home. After the home study is approved, the foster parents must wait for a termination of parental rights or a voluntary relinquishment of parental rights from the birth parent or parents. Once the parental rights have been terminated or relinquished, the foster parents will begin to complete the adoption process. This includes filing an adoption petition, attending a mandatory adoption preparation and counseling class, and having a final adoption hearing. Once all of these steps have been completed, the child will be granted an adoption order and the child can legally become a part of the foster family. The foster-to-adopt process can be beneficial to the children and families involved by giving the child a sense of security and stability. Furthermore, it can give the family an opportunity to get to know the child before making a long-term commitment.

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