Foster/Adopt in Georgia - Gwinnett co?

Anyone have any insight they'd like to share in regards to adoption through foster care in Gwinnett county? We're open to one child age 5 or under, but along the way to that child, would like to also help with emergency care, respite, or short term sibling placements. I've been informed by DFCS that anyone interested in foster to adopt is being referred to their outside contracted agencies. DFCS is concentrating more on getting foster families for RU. There's only 2 categories of interest, foster or adoption, with foster to adopt being an offshoot of adoption. This is relatively their new process as they used to work directly with those interested in foster to adopt. The contracted agencies now come to orientation. However by phone, the agencies have said that DFCS looks within before going to them for potential matches and typically the agencies help them with harder placements and I got a big 'rarely' about younger children. The agencies are recommending we go back to DFCS through foster care, being fully aware of RU, and the risks if adoption is made possible. It's funny how the agencies have given me more info and have been straightforward. But I'm not sure if DFCS addresses adoption in the foster licensing when going that route, since everything seems to be handled in 2 separate groups now. I'd appreciate anyone's comments.