Foster to adopt

What is fostering to adopt? 

Fostering to adopt is where a child is placed with prospective adopters who are also approved as foster carers. These carers are assessed to make sure they can take care of the specific needs of the individual child.

The child lives with them on a fostering basis whilst the child's social worker completes assessments and makes a recommendation to the Court about the child's future care. The child is placed with carers who may become their adopters, which prevents the child from potentially having multiple placements.

If the court decision is for the child not to return to their birth family, then plans can be made for the child to remain with the adopters, and for them to apply to adopt the child. Fostering for adoption provides greater stability for the child, and promotes early attachment and bonding with the family.

How does fostering to adopt work at Barnardo’s? 

Children who are adopted within our service are initially placed on a fostering basis with their prospective adopters. This allows the prospective adopters, Barnardo’s, the child’s social worker and the courts, to be sure that adoption is the best outcome for the child. Most importantly, fostering to adopt also helps reduce the number of moves that child has to experience and creates a more stable environment for them.

Children who are placed with foster to adopt families can often have a range of needs including health concerns, disabilities, or developmental uncertainty. Or they may have experienced the trauma of abuse and neglect in early childhood or been exposed to alcohol or other drugs while in the womb.  

They may be older children, from 4 years upwards, and some will require a home with their brother or sister. They are likely to have been waiting to be matched with families who can adopt them or offer permanent foster care for some time.

Fostering to adopt is an opportunity to create a stable and safe home for children who need it most.

How can I apply to foster to adopt? 

If you are interested in fostering to adopt, you can find out more information from our friendly team by getting in touch and making an enquiry below.

Getting in touch is a great way to learn about the process and ask any questions you may have. Don’t worry, you don’t have to sign up or be ready to commit yet.