What is success, what is failure??

I have now been a foster parent for over 2 years, and had 10 children over a period of 1 year, 9 months.  I have 2 children who are currently in my care, 2 children who went to live permanently with their biological fathers (the mother's rights were terminated), and 6 children who went into kinship placement (aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc).  The 2 children I have in my home right now (6 mo old boy, 2 yr old girl) have been in my home for almost 6 months.  The state has changed the plan from reunification with the parents to termination of BOTH parents' rights.  AND, there is no one in the family the state considers suitable for placement.  So, the children will be available for adoption soon.

The question I ask myself with every placement is.....what outcome would be considered a success?!?! My dream is to have parents use this removal as a wake up call! To do everything they need to do, get their lives in order, and earn their children back.  But, when this happens, what is the success rate?? Will the children end up back in care?? What chance can these parents have, when obviously their entire family is considered unsuitable?

So, how do I judge success? How do I know if what I am doing is really making a difference in the long run? I don't get follow up information on these children, so how do I know that they lived happily ever after?

This is where faith in God comes in. This is where I know He has called me to watch over His children.  This is where I leave them in His hands, and trust that He will give them the strength they need to thrive.  This is where I count on my friends and family to remind me that....as long as I am following in His footsteps, and am in obedience to Him.....it is a success.