Questions GWINNETT COUNTY

Georgia is a "reunification state." Most states strive for reunification if it is in the best interest of the child, GA on the other hand takes it the the extream, and reunifies at any cost. This is why there are hardly any children 5 and under to adopt. Many of the kids that are in the system were placed as small children, sent back home and then entered the system again in a never ending cycle, they are now teens with little to no chance of being adopted. The children I was going to adopt were with me 7 months, went home, 3 months later came back to me and then 6 months later back home. They are now back in the system again we could not take the boys back this time so they are in a differnt home. I hear this same story over and over from foster parents all over GA. We also had a 12 year old come and stay with us for 3 years, we wanted to adopted him but his dad would not sign his rights away. He was serving a prison term of 10 years and still had 4 years left. He fought the courts and won the boy will be 16 when he gets out of prison, and has told me, his case worker, his CASA and the judge that he will run away if they make him go live with his dad. Sadly our home was closed when we decieded to persue a private adoption and they moved the boy to another foster home. They said they had to close our home due to a conflict of interest on our part. I understand reunification, but these kids deserve better than this. For the most part unless termination of parent rights have already taken place, do not get your hopes up over a placement in your home.