with Deborah Burrus

Tuesday, the 15th of November 2005

The opinions and statements made in this chat session belong to the individuals posting them and appear in unedited form to promote the free exchange of information. However, they may not represent the views and/or policies of the Georgia Center for Resources and Support.

Dana Wylie: Welcome to all that have joined us, I would like to introduce Deborah Burris ( I hope I spelled that correctly) Deborah is a Field Placement Specialist for Fulton County, She interprets policy, does training, case consultations reads and reviews home studies for foster and adoptive families and she has been with the state office for 8 years with the majority of that time in adoptions

Dana Wylie: I would like to open with the first question of the evening, What exactly is a foster to adopt home?

Deborah: A foster to adopt home is an adoptive home willing to accept legal risk placements, with the implementation of ASFA in 1997 we began to use foster to adopt homes more frequently to expidite permenency.

Dana Wylie: Would you explain "legal risk placements" .

BAPatterson: Aren't there homes that have permanent foster homes placements without the adoption process

Deborah: Sure, legal risk means an adoptive family will accept a child who still have some level of legal issues that need to be addressed, there is minimum lsgal risk and there are cases with extreme legal risk.

judy: - has joined the chat -

jean: - has joined the chat -

Joyce C: - has joined the chat -

Dana Wylie: How should foster to adopt homes be used?

Deborah: Let me add, that with ASFA states were encouraged to use concurrent planning, now these would be families who are will to foster and adopt and can support the agency's goal. It simply means we have two case plans , normally a reunification plan and an adoption plan.

BAPatterson: - has left the chat -

Deborah: Per policy foster to adopt homes should only be used for the purpose of legal risk adoption placements.

jean: how long does an out of state adoption take?

Marsha Clark: Isn't it true that most adoptions are by foster parents? Whate is the difference between foster-to-adopt and a foster parent adoption?

BAPatterson: - has joined the chat -

Veronica: How soon after a child is placed in foster care are they deemed eligible for the "foster to adopt" plan? Are they placed in a "regular" foster home first & later moved to a "foster-to-adopt" placement?

Deborah: Yes, it's true that a majority of adoptions are by foster parents, the difference is that foster parent adoptions are when children have been placed with their foster parents and once TPR has occured the foster parent wishes to keep the child and proceeds to adopt. Foster to adopt are technically adoptive parents who primary goal is adoption and they accept children who have a permanency plan of adoption who may have various levels of elgal issues that must be addressed.

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Deborah: The law gives us 12 months to have a permenency plan for a child. In most cases we are required by law to work with birth families. If a birht family is unable to acheive the goals of their case plan, then the goal usaually changes, if the foster parents are not wnating to apply to adopt and or if a TPR is under appeal or their are still relative needing to be explored we may look at a foster to adopt placement at that time.

Dana Wylie: What is a TPR?

Deborah: I'm sorry, please forgive me, TPR is termination of Perenal Rights

Deborah: make that Parental Rights

Dana Wylie: What happens when a TPR is final?

Deborah: This is when the judge gives the agency permanent custody, until then the agency has temporaary custody

judy: If a child may need a level of care is this done prior to placement in a Foster to Adopt home? If it is not done prior to placement can LOC be done after a child is in the Foster to Adopt placement?

Deborah: This means the child is free for adoption, but parents have the right to appeal this decision.

jean: how long does it take for an out of state adoption to be finalized?

BAPatterson: An appeal can take up to a year

Deborah: Yes, a level of care can be done after a child is in a foster to adopt home.

Dana Wylie: What are some of the possibilities of the appeal process?

Deborah: In a foster to adopt home the child is still considered to be in a foster care placement

Joyce C: If not wanting to adopt, how does long term care come into play for foster parent

Shannon H: - has joined the chat -

Deborah: Unfortunately, we are seeing more and more appeals, however it is rare that a TPR is overturned, this does significantly delay the adoption process when it does occur.

cindy: - has joined the chat -

Deborah: Lonf term foster care can be a goal however, it is not feasible for children undre the age of 14.

BAPatterson: If a child's parents are not together but both file an appeal does this make the review process longer?

Marsha Clark: Children need and deserve to have permanency.

Dana Wylie: That is very true.

Deborah: I can't say, the appeal's court doesn't convene often, my professional opinion is that both case would be heard at the same time.

Dana Wylie: It seems unfair that they are at times shuffeled about.

Shannon H: I think it depends alot on the state the children have gone through the system in. Some of the "busier" states can take forever.

Shannon H: I had a case where both parents were appealing in New York, and allegedly, due process had to be served individually due to the differing circumstances.

Deborah: Yes, however ASFA is a federal law, permenency should be expidite for all childre, the biggest delays are within the judicial system when we do have appeals.

jean: How long does it take after the other state aprove the adoptive parent?

jean: How long does it take after the other state aprove the adoptive parent?

Deborah: I guess I shoudl prefernce that I can only speak for Georgia, when I say time, I mean the same day but, probably different cases.

Deborah: Again, I can only speak for Georgia, each state is different

Shannon H: How much work is done trying to find an appropriate relative resource? How do they fit in after the parental rights have been terminated, should they suddenly show up? Are they technically not an aunt or uncle if the parents' rights are void?

Marsha Clark: Deborah, what is the advantage/disadvantage of being a F-A parent instead of a regular foster parent? Who gets to adopt quicker?

Deborah: New policy and law requires that we spend significant time on identifyin relatives, it's a practice issue upon which we must improve. Technically once TPR is acheived the relatives are no longer relatives. However, things have been known to happen from one court to the next, this is again why we have legal risk

Deborah: The advantage of being a foster to adopt parent means families are usually able to get the younger children. My major concern is that families must not lose sight of possible reunification with parents or relatives. Foster to adopt families must be aware of their own abilities to deal with reunification. Families must assess their ability to handle a child leaving their home.

Shannon H: In your agency, what is the 'realistic' lower age limit to request if one is wanting to be a foster to adopt parent? If they state they want a very young child or an infant, what are they told?

cindy: do you place the children in a regular foster home, until such time it has been determined that the parents will be tpr. then are the children move to a foster to adopt home?

Deborah: If families say they want an infant they are told that we have a 6 to 7 wait list. This is when families may opt to take the legal risk.

Deborah: Child welfare is such an art, each case is different. However, workers are encouraged to seek a foster to adopt home once it has been determined that the foster parent is not inerested in adopting and the agency knows that adoption is the goal.

Shannon H: Do you have any idea how many foster to adopt situations end up with a relative or someone else coming into the picture at the last moment?

BAPatterson: Is the adoption subsidy based on the child's current LOC or does the probable future medical costs determine the subsidy?

Deborah: If we could have a perfect world children would not have to move again and they could remain in their foster home, that would meant one less move and one less loss for a child.

Deborah: I don't but, I would say if these homes are utilized appropriately it would be very rare.

chatadmin: - has joined the chat -

Deborah: The child's current level of care

BAPatterson: thanks!!

Deborah: You're so welcome

Marsha Clark: gotta go! good job Deborah! Thanks! Y'all have a great evening! bubye!

Veronica: Once a TPR has occurred and the foster parent as applied for adoption, how long does the legal process usually take?

Marsha Clark: - has left the chat -

Dana Wylie: I would like to thank everyone for their imput, this was very informative, any final questions

Deborah: Thanks for joining us Marsha

BAPatterson: Thank you!!

Deborah: Thanks to all of you and please forgive all my grammatical and spelling errors!

Shannon H: Have a blessed evening, everyone!

Shannon H: - has left the chat -

Veronica: Once a TPR has occurred and the foster parent as applied for adoption, how long does the legal process usually take?

Joyce C: bye

Deborah: If there is no appeal it should go fairly quickly , it could happen within three to six months or even sooner. If there is and appeal it can take up to a year or longer, the last I heard they were only hearing appeal cases once a year.

Veronica: Thanks.

Deborah: Bye Joyce, make that an appeal!!!!!!!!!

Deborah: You're welcome

Veronica: - has left the chat -

cindy: thank you for the information, have a good evening

Deborah: Well, thanks again to all, I enjoyed the chat

Dana Wylie: I hope that everyone feels as informed as I do, I would like to again thank everyone for their great info. Have a great evening and an even better day, peace and blessings, Dana Wylie