Foster Care Begins With Bringing Kids Home
George Goodlow and Beth Hyerman have spent years inside child welfare, in casework, foster care, licensing, and adoption. In this episode of Voices of Adoption with host Donna Pope, Beth and George share what the work really looks like. The first thing they want families to understand is simple. Foster care is built around reunification. The goal is to care for a child safely while their parents get the support they need to bring them home.
The data backs this up. In a recent federal reporting year, about 46% of children who left foster care were reunited with their families (Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute), and reunification remains the most common outcome. At the same time, the need is large. More than 328,000 children were in foster care in the most recent federal count (National Council for Adoption). George and Beth stress that a good foster home is not there to replace a family. It is there to give a child stability, safety, and love during a hard season.
Kinship and the People a Child Knows
When a child does need care outside the home, George and Beth start by looking for people the child already knows. In Illinois, the KIND Act requires workers to exhaust relatives and fictive kin before other options. That means calling grandparents, aunts, teachers, coaches, and church friends. Keeping a child near familiar faces can soften the shock of removal and protect the bonds that matter most.
Time matters here too. The median time a child spends in foster care is just over a year (AdoptUSKids), though many cases run much longer. And when reunification is not possible, a lot of children are still waiting for a permanent home. More than 85,000 children were waiting to be adopted from foster care in a recent year (Annie E. Casey Foundation). George and Beth are honest about the delays and barriers in the system, and they are just as clear that steady, informed advocacy helps kids reach permanency.
The Right Foster Home Fits the Child
Beth pushes back on the idea that there is one perfect kind of foster home. What looks ideal on paper is not always what a child needs. A calm, quiet home can feel unsettling to a child who grew up around chaos, because calm can feel like the moment before something goes wrong. The best matches start with the child's history and what will actually help them feel safe.
This is also why foster parents matter so much in the adoption story. In a recent year, more than half of children adopted from foster care were adopted by their foster parents (Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute). The relationship a child builds in a foster home often becomes the foundation for a permanent family. George and Beth both point to patience, honesty, and a real understanding of trauma as the traits that make a home work.
Adoption That Keeps a Child Connected
Some of Beth's favorite adoptions kept a child connected to their birth family. She shares one where the foster family welcomed the birth father to birthdays, holidays, and Sunday dinners. When they adopted the child, he was still part of the family. Adoption did not erase where the child came from. It gave the child permanency while honoring their roots.
That kind of ending is worth working for, especially when so many older youth still leave care without a family. About 20,000 young people age out of foster care each year (AdoptUSKids) without a permanent home. George and Beth's advice to families is direct. Adopt for the right reasons, lead with patience, and do not give up on these kids. They are not a trial run. They are people who need adults who will show up and stay.
Terms Worth Knowing
Reunification - Returning a child to their birth parents once the home is safe. This is the main goal of foster care.
Kinship placement - Placing a child with relatives or close family friends instead of strangers.
Fictive kin - Trusted adults who are like family to a child, such as a teacher, neighbor, or coach.
Service plan - The written steps a parent works on to safely bring their child home. Agencies put one in place early in a case.
Termination of parental rights (TPR) - A court decision that legally ends a parent's rights so a child can be adopted.
Permanency - A stable, lasting home for a child, through reunification, guardianship, or adoption.
This episode is an honest look at the hard parts and the hopeful parts of foster care and adoption. If you are thinking about fostering or adopting, or you just want to understand the system better, George and Beth offer a clear-eyed place to start. No matter where you are in your journey, you'll find people who understand.
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Connect With George Goodlow and Beth Hyerman
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