Adoption and Fostering

What's the difference?

Firstly, there's the legal difference - As an adoptive parent all responsibilities are legally transferred to you, as if the child was born to you. Foster carers on the other hand are not the legal parents and will often need to consult social workers (or sometimes parents) about decisions.

Secondly, foster carers get a weekly fostering fee plus maintenance for the child.  Adoptive parents do not get paid, though they can get a means tested adoption allowance for certain children and a settling-in allowance at the beginning of the placement.

Links

• BBC One Life - Adoption: The Practicalities
• BBC Lifestyle - Parenting
• Adoption UK - Support for adoptive families
• UK Kids - Adoption and fostering information
• Post-Adoption Centre - Advice, counselling and support  
• Barnados - "Giving children back their future"
• Adoption.org.uk - Adoption and Fostering information line