Care For Me First? - Blog

Throughout the month of April, we are highlighting Fostering for Adoption (or FfA) and talking about this particular route to adoption. At Adoption Now we put our children at the heart of all that we do and in this months blog post we talk about Fostering for Adoption as a route to adoption that has the best interests of the child at the fore.

What is Fostering for Adoption (FfA)?

Fostering for Adoption is where a child, who cannot be cared for by their parents or extended family, is placed into foster care at the earliest opportunity with prospective adopters who have already been approved. During this period the prospective adopters are foster carers whilst the court weighs up the longer-term future of the child, because at this stage the local authority has deemed that it thinks that adoption may well be the plan for the child. However, work still needs to be done with the child’s birth parents and extended family before the courts can come to a decision on whether there will indeed be a plan for adoption.

At this stage the benefit to the child is that, should the courts decide that a plan for adoption is needed, then there will be minimum movement, placements, and disruption for the child at this crucial point in their life. Thus, avoiding more stress for the child and it will also allow the bonding between them and their adoptive parents to start at an earlier stage.

Each situation is considered on an individual basis, with the interests of the child taking priority above everything else. So, when considering FfA it is always worth considering that until the courts have made their decision on the future of the child they will remain a foster child, meaning that there is still the possibility that the child may return to their birth parents or extended family, which is something to bear in mind when thinking about taking the Fostering for Adoption route.

How can I find out more about Fostering for Adoption (FfA)? 

We might be biased but if you would like to know more about Fostering for Adoption, we would highly recommend you listen to our Adopter Stories by Adoption Now podcast. We have two special episodes in which we explore Fostering for Adoption. In the first episodes we speak to Kayleigh, one of our Early Permanence Champions where she tells us in more detail about the challenges and benefits of Fostering for Adoption. Simply click here to listen! Then in the second episode we talk to Laura, who along with her husband adopted via the Fostering for Adoption route. Find out about their adoption journey and why they chose to adopt through Fostering for Adoption. 

On Wednesday 6th April we held a Virtual Information Event that wasfocused on all aspects of Fostering for Adoption. Attendees were able to hear from Kayleigh and Lyndsey, two of our Early Permanence Champions, who gave a presentation about how Fostering for Adoption works. We also had a guest speaker who told us about their Fostering for Adoption journey. Throughout both the presentation and guest speaker interview attendees were able to ask any questions about Fostering for Adoption that they had.

We will hold more bespoke events over the course of the year, so be sure to look out for them on our website and social media pages. Our experienced and friendly team are also always at hand to talk to you about early permanence options via Ffa and the need that we have for families who can consider this route to caring for a child with a view to potentially becoming their adoptive parents. To book onto one of our Virtual Information Events click here.

How do I start Fostering for Adoption? 

We currently have babies and young children from 0-2 years old who need forever families. If you think that Fostering for Adoption is a route to adoption that you could consider then we would love to hear from you!

Simply fill out the contact form here and we will be able to schedule a call with you to discuss starting your adoption journey. Or you can call our Information Line today on 01204 336096 where you can speak directly to an experienced member of our team!