Learning Objectives
Having viewed this resource you should have a better understanding of what fostering for adoption is, what the benefits of it are, and what the potentially challenging aspects of it might be.
In this video, Gareth discusses the process of fostering for adoption with social worker Naomi. Gareth already has one adopted child and was trying to adopt a second. Fostering for adoption is where a child in care is placed with registered foster carers who have also been approved as adopters. The foster carers care for the child whilst the child's social worker works with and assesses his or her birth family and makes a recommendation to the Court about the child's future care.
If it's decided that adoption is the best option to secure the child's future well-being then the fostering placement becomes an adoption placement and the foster carers make an application to the Court to formally adopt the child.
Currently fostering for adoption applies to England, although in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, placements may also start on a fostering basis.
Reflective Questions
- What are the benefits of fostering for adoption?
- What are the potentially challenging aspects of fostering for adoption?
- What do you think of the social worker’s decision not to tell Gary about the other child they were looking to match?