Accidental angel

"Roderick follows me everywhere," Koop says. "He doesn't even like it if I take a shower. He pounds on the door."

If Koop were approved as a foster parent, she could receive up to $450 a month reimbursement from the state for each child. But she would first have to pass a 10- to 12-week training course, participate in extensive home studies and, she is afraid, risk losing the boys temporarily--a fear that spokeswoman Edwards says is justified.

"We just never really dealt with something like this before," Edwards says. "I'm not sure how it would be handled.