If you’re thinking about adoption and wondering whether you could foster a child with the intention of adopting them into your forever family, then there’s a specific route designed to make exactly that possible.
While every child’s situation is different, there are circumstances where fostering can lead to adoption, offering a child the stability, security and sense of belonging they need to thrive. At the heart of every decision is what is best for the child.
In this guide, we’ll explain how adoption through foster care works, what the early permanence scheme involves, and what you can expect if you’re considering taking this important next step.
Can you adopt your foster child?
Yes, in some circumstances. There are different routes through which fostering can lead to adoption, depending on the child’s situation and care plan.
At PACT, we support this through our Fostering for Adoption scheme, also known as early permanence. However, this takes a different approach and understanding how it works is an important first step.
The foster to adopt scheme
The foster to adopt scheme allows approved adopters to care for a child while court proceedings are still ongoing.
This means that a child can begin settling into what may become their permanent home much earlier in life, rather than moving between multiple placements, and you move seamlessly from foster carer to adoptive parent.
The aim is to give babies and young children the chance to build secure attachments from the very beginning, helping them feel safe, loved and supported during an uncertain period.
However, foster to adopt placements do carry some uncertainty and until the court makes a final decision. While historically, the number of children who return to their families is low, there is still a possibility that a child may return to their birth family or be placed with relatives.
Benefits of adopting your foster child
Adoption through early permanence can help children by:
- Reducing the number of moves they experience
- Supporting healthy, stable attachment from infancy
- Providing consistency during legal proceedings
- Helping children feel secure and settled earlier in life
This is particularly important for babies and young children who may already have experienced trauma or instability early in life, early permanence arrangements can help children begin building strong emotional connections from the very beginning of their care journey.
How to adopt a child from foster care
As a prospective adopter considering early permanence, here are the key stages involved in the process of foster parent to adoptive parent:
1. Assessment and approval
Before a child is placed with you, you will be assessed and approved as both a prospective adopter and a temporary foster carer. This is built into PACT’s adoption assessment process and involves looking at the practical and emotional aspects of the early permanence role alongside the standard adoption assessment.
2. Placement and fostering period
Once approved, you may be matched with a child who has an early permanence plan. During this period, you are the child’s foster carer, which means keeping regular records of their care and wellbeing, attending meetings with your social worker, and supporting the child to have contact with their birth family while the courts reach a decision.
3. Placement order is granted
Once the court grants a Placement Order, you become the child’s prospective adoptive parents. The child remains with you throughout – there is no change to their day-to-day life.
4. Adoption order
After the child has been living with you under the adoption placement for a minimum of 10 weeks, you can apply to the family court for the final Adoption Order. When an Adoption Order is granted, you become the child’s legal parent permanently and you have full parental responsibility.
Is adopting your foster child right for you?
Early permanence is one of the most powerful ways to give a child stability and love from the very beginning of their story. The role requires emotional resilience and flexibility, and it is important to go into it with a clear understanding of the uncertainties involved.
At PACT, we support prospective adopters through the entire journey, including early permanence placements, and 19% of the children we placed in loving, permanent homes last year came through early permanence.
For more support, our early permanence resources are here to help you navigate your journey and help you make fully informed decisions. Whether you’re at the very beginning of thinking about adoption or ready to take the next step, we’d love to talk. Get in touch with our adoption enquiries team today.
