Fostering for Adoption
Fostering for Adoption is a way of trying to provide a child with a permanent family from an early stage, to avoid the child having to move around. Where the local authority believes that a child is unlikely to return home, they may place the child with approved adopters (initially under fostering regulations), so that if the courts final decision is that the child should be adopted, the child is already in their forever family and disruption and delay is avoided.
The child is therefore placed with carers at an early stage who may become their adopters and the attachment process between the child and adoptive parents can begin sooner. During this time, the approved adopters will be foster carers for the child and they may be asked to bring the child for contact with members of the birth family at a supervised contact centre.
If the court agrees that the child should be adopted and the adoption agency approves the match between the carers and the child, then the placement becomes an adoption placement.
The fostering for adoption carers will need to be able to deal with the uncertainty of this period before the court’s final decision. The court may not agree with the local authority’s plan for adoption for the child and the child may return to a birth family member. Occasionally a relative may come forward and wish to be considered to offer a permanent home to the child. So there is a lot of uncertainty for the adopter and that is something that anyone thinking about taking this route would need to seriously consider.
At all stages of the process you will have the opportunity to discuss this further. We will also offer you training about Fostering for Adoption if it is something that you wish to consider.