How is a child who is NOT adopted looked after?

Question

I had been told that orphanages pretty much no longer exist in Canada, and that children who are not adopted are worked through foster homes until they are 18.

When I looked into becoming a foster parent (something I have thought about doing when I hit 25 if everything works out), I read that foster families are used with the long-term goal of reuniting the child with their biological parent(s). Nothing was mentioned about children who were put up for adoption.

I, myself was adopted, but at only a month old, so I wouldn't know how the process works.

I don't want to be horribly misinformed on something I plan to pursue in the future, so if anyone can help me understand the process children who are not adopted go through, that would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Vex,

In the US, which is relatively similar to Canada, most children in the foster care system are either returned to their parents or freed for adoption and adopted into new families. The remainder are devided into several categories, some are returned to other extended family members like grandparents, siblings, aunts & uncles (kinship guardianship or adoption), others are given guardianship by third parties such as family friends, church members or other appropriate citizens (Temporary or permanent guardianship), some live in foster homes but are not adopted (long-term foster care), some are placed in group homes (wards of the state), special needs children are placed in specialized care facilities, group homes and foster fome that are specially trained to meet their specific needs.

I should point out that not all children in foster care wish to be adopted if they are not able to return to their families. Some prefer to "age out" and others ask for emancipation (being declared a legal adult).

I hope this answers your question. Good luck with being a foster parent - educating yourself is a terriffic step to being a great one! :)

Answer 2

It should be the same. Those that are up for adoption will remain in foster care homes. If they get adopted they will then be taken out of foster care and put into their new homes. If they dont they remain in foster care. Most of the children never actually get adopted. At least thats how it is here.

Answer 3

I assume that Canada is like the US and young babies are easily placed through private agencies, since there are many couples/families wanting to adopt. Because the mother can voluntarily relinquish her her rights the baby goes directly from the mom to the adoptive family - no foster care. In some foreign countries babies are abandon at orphanages because women don't have the right to place them voluntarily. These babies end up in orphanages, or foster care depending on the country.

Foster care is a different system where children are taken from their parents for reasons of abuse or neglect. The goal is to reunite them if  the parents can get their act together, so they are in temporary care. If the parents can't accomplish this their rights are terminated, and the child  becomes available  for adoption. Often older children aren't adopted, and stay in foster  care until they "age out" of the system at 18.

Answer 4

I don't know about canada, but i know of quite a few group homes in the us, and have volunteered for some.  they're pretty much like orphanages.  all of these homes were run by religious organizations, though.

Answer 5

There are many rules and regulations about adoption in each aspect.  For us, private adoption seemed to be a breeze, and in other states, it's harder than foster adoption.  In our USA state, we have a choice whether to be a foster parent, where the goal is re=unification, or to be an adoptive parent, where it has already been found that re-unification won't take place because of problems, and the parental rights have already been surrendered.  There are so many more kids than available homes, and the process takes so long to get approved that many just give up.  It is possible though, and I'm praying I get approved very soon!