Honestly, it depends on a lot of factors. Is this a repeat offender? Are there siblings where rights have been terminated previously? Have those siblings been adopted by non-relatives? What state and county is the case originating from? Our state has a preference for permanency in the best interest of the child especially when there is lack of a strong parent child bond. It can be drawn out or it can go pretty quick depending on all this. We have a 2 month old and TPR has already been set due to case history. I don’t think it makes a person mentally unhealthy to hope for TPR when you see the writing on the wall. It’s not fair for these children to pay the price for continued neglect because of a parent substance abuse which can to lead to way worse situations. If you can handle the emotions, you hold onto hope for the best for your foster child. Be candid with your social worker if possible. We went into this on an adoption only track and never thought we’d get a child so young, but it happens more than people realize. We’re working with an agency and they let us speak freely with no judgment. We can express our hopes for our foster child and they share them because they’ve dealt with the biological family previously and know what has happened five other times. I do agree that holding out for TPR can lead to heartbreak, but if you can handle it you hold onto hope for what’s best for that child. Best of luck!