is being a foster parent a quicker way to adopt a child?

my husband and i completed classes, ......home study, and been approved to adopt, but we did it for adoption only not fostering. i regret that we did not become foster parents because now i see that a foster parent has first choice to that child if they are willing to adopt. this is really fustrating and it hurts to know that a child fits our family but once the foster parent finds out that a family is interested then the foster parent decides to adopt. this has happen to us and it really hurts.