Fostering for adoption

The aim of fostering for adoption is to provide more children with a faster route to a permanent home by setting up a fostering arrangement with a child's potential adopters. Simply put, fostering for adoption involves prospective adopters fostering a child before adopting them. This means that prospective adopters can care for children on a fostering basis (temporary) while the local authority seeks an adoption order (permanent) from the courts.

This approach is outlined in The Children and Families Act 2014, which places a duty on local authorities to consider matching children who may be adopted with foster carers who are also approved prospective adopters.

Read more about the differences between fostering and adoption, including the adoption process and where to find out more.

When might fostering for adoption happen?

When a child is taken into the care of the local authority, that local authority has a duty to explore all possible outcomes and produce a child-centred plan for the court to consider. Fostering for adoption may be the most appropriate outcome in situations where a child is unable to return to their own family, and adoption is the preferred form of legal permanency.

What are the benefits of fostering for adoption?

Fostering for adoption means that children have the opportunity to form strong attachments with their potential permanent family from an early stage. It provides children with stability and consistency of care, and can minimise disruption for children by reducing the number of times they have to move between foster carers. Fostering for adoption also allows potential adopters to demonstrate their commitment to caring for a child, even though they are aware that the child may return to their own family.

How does it work?

Like other foster carers, fostering for adoption carers provide the day to day care for a child under a fostering arrangement. They do not have parental responsibility for the child, but will have delegated authority to make some decisions. They work with the child’s social worker to ensure the child’s needs are met, and are supported by a supervising social worker with experience in fostering for adoption arrangements.

As a fostering for adoption arrangement is temporary, the social worker may also be continuing an assessment of the child's birth family and/or wider family and friends, to determine what is in the best interests of the child. The court will have the final decision and make a ruling on the care plan for the child, including any permanency arrangements.

If the court recommends adoption, the fostering for adoption carers will go to an adoption panel to become approved adopters for the child they have been fostering. A minimum of 10 weeks later, they can apply for an Adoption Order from the court.

If the court decides that the child should be placed with their birth family, then the child will return to their family home.

Do fostering for adoption carers get paid?

Yes. Foster carers who foster to adopt will receive a weekly fostering allowance for the child in their care. This payment will end once the adoption is formalised, or if they stop caring for the child. Once the adoption is made, adopters will be able to claim Child Benefit.

If employed, fostering for adoption carers will also be entitled to adoption leave. We recommend that fostering for adoption carers speak to their employer to ensure they receive their full entitlements.

Becoming a fostering for adoption carer

Fostering for adoption carers are approved adopters who have the skills and emotional resilience to offer a child a loving home, while living with the uncertainty that the child may return to their birth family. This means fostering for adoption is not suitable for all prospective adopters. During a prospective adopter's assessment, a social worker will discuss fostering for adoption, and will record their recommendations about suitability in a report.

There is no generic assessment for fostering for adoption carers. Applicants are approved following an assessment of their capacity to meet the needs of an individual child. If you are an approved adopter, you will receive information about children who need fostering before adoption. Your social worker will support you to decide if you can meet a child’s needs.

The child’s social worker will then complete an assessment with you, which is provided to the fostering decision maker for their recommendation. If the decision maker agrees that you can meet the child's needs, you would then become a temporary foster carer for the child.

If the court decides that the child should be adopted, your adoption social worker, in agreement with the child’s social worker, may recommend that you go to a matching panel. If the panel agrees you are a good match for the child, the arrangement will change from a fostering placement to an adoption placement.

If you are interested in fostering for adoption, you should contact adoption agencies and make enquiries. It is likely that each local authority will have slightly different policies and approaches in relation to fostering for adoption. You could also contact First4Adoption.

Useful pages

When might fostering for adoption happen?

What are the benefits of fostering for adoption?

How does it work?

Do fostering for adoption carers get paid?

Becoming a fostering for adoption carer

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