Fostering and adoption are two distinct pathways for providing care to children who cannot live with their birth families. While both play a critical role in offering safety, stability and love, they come with different responsibilities and outcomes.
Foster care involves providing a nurturing and safe home for children who cannot remain with their own families due to various circumstances. Foster parents offer care on a temporary or long-term basis, depending on the child’s placement plan.
Unlike adoption, foster parents do not have parental responsibility for the child. Decisions about the child's care, education and health are made in partnership with the local authority and, where appropriate, the child’s birth parents or legal guardian.
Foster children often face challenges that require a stable and supportive environment. Providing this support helps them thrive and heal. At Mosaic, we specialise in long-term fostering, ensuring children stay with a consistent family until they reach adulthood. This approach offers stability and prevents the disruption of moving between placements.
Adoption is a permanent legal process where you become the child’s parent, taking on all rights and responsibilities. An adoption order transfers legal guardianship to the adoptive parents, severing the child’s legal ties with their birth family.
The adoption process includes detailed assessments, background checks and court approvals. While the process can involve significant paperwork and regulations, the result is a lifelong commitment to raising and supporting the child as your own.
If you’re fostering a child and considering adoption, several factors come into play. Adoption may be possible when:
Your social worker and the local authority will guide you through the process, offering support and advice to help you make the best decision for your foster child.
Children in foster care often experience trauma, instability and loss. Whether you choose to continue fostering or pursue adoption, the goal is to provide an environment where they can develop secure attachments and feel a sense of stability.
At Mosaic, we understand every child’s journey is unique. Our SMILE therapeutic framework ensures foster parents receive the necessary training and support to meet the child’s needs effectively. Immediate, tailored intervention helps foster children build trust and heal emotionally, whether they stay in long-term foster care or transition to adoption.
Fostering for Adoption is a path where approved adopters foster a child while the legal process unfolds. This route aims to minimise disruption by placing the child with potential adoptive parents early on. It offers the child stability and a chance to form attachments without the uncertainty of multiple moves.
This approach is designed for those who are open to both fostering and adoption. It requires a high level of commitment and a willingness to navigate complex legal processes.
If adoption becomes the best option, the transition can be smoother for both the child and the foster parent.
Deciding whether to adopt your foster child is a significant step, filled with emotion, questions and legal considerations. At Mosaic, our team of experienced social workers is here to provide guidance and answer all your questions. We offer comprehensive training, support and resources to help you through every stage of the decision-making process.
At Mosaic, we are committed to helping foster parents make informed decisions that prioritise the child’s best interests. If you’re considering adopting your foster child or want to learn more about long-term fostering, our team is here to help.
All your questions about fostering and adoption answered here. Speak to a Mosaic Foster Parent today.
