Is there any difference between guardianship and adoption other than the adoptees loss of rights?
When a child is in foster care, the state has legal custody, not the foster parents. The fparents have physical custody. It’s not the same as a legal guardianship arrangement. A legal guardianship arrangement can be made that includes the child taking on the guardians’ last name. The “day to day investment” in the child is still there. Guardianships can be just as permanent as an adoption. (We do know that adoption doesn’t have to be permanent, either — ‘adoption disruption’ is a legal nullification of the adoption.) There are some legalities that would have to be arranged well, such as a will or trust. If a person dies without a will or trust, the state looks for the next of kin that would be legally able to inherit. I’ve just been through this with a relative who died with no will or trust. An adopted child normally will automatically fit into that list. So, if someone has a legal guardianship, s/he will need to make sure there is a trust or will in place so that the person to whom
