How does the foster to adopt process work?

The foster to adopt process is a two-part assessment and placement pathway: you are assessed and approved to foster while also being considered as a prospective adopter. If a local authority believes adoption may be the right long-term plan for a child, the child may be placed with you before the final adoption decision has been made. This allows the child to experience greater continuity of care, but it also means the arrangements can change if the court or local authority decides that adoption is not appropriate.

1. Initial information and eligibility checks

The process begins with an enquiry and an initial discussion about your circumstances. You will usually be asked about your home, family, employment, health, relationships, experience of caring for children and reasons for considering foster to adopt. The aim is to establish whether this type of placement is realistic for your household and whether fostering or adoption requirements may affect your application.

Basic checks are completed before a full assessment proceeds. These commonly include identity and residence checks, criminal record checks for relevant household members, references, health information and checks with other agencies where appropriate. Previous convictions or difficult personal experiences do not automatically prevent someone from applying, but they must be considered openly and assessed in context.

2. Training and preparation

Prospective foster to adopt carers complete preparation training before approval. This covers subjects such as safeguarding, child development, attachment, trauma, safer caring, managing contact with birth family members and the legal framework for children in care and adoption.

Training also explores the particular demands of foster to adopt. You need to understand that you may care for a child as a prospective adopter while acting within a foster care framework. You may be expected to work with social workers, attend meetings, support contact arrangements and share information about the child’s development. Preparation should also address the possibility that the child may return to birth family members or move to another permanent placement.

3. The fostering and adoption assessment

A social worker carries out a detailed assessment of your suitability. This involves discussions with each applicant, visits to your home and consideration of how your household operates. The assessment normally examines:

• your motivation for fostering to adopt;
• your ability to meet a child’s physical, emotional and developmental needs;
• your understanding of attachment, loss, trauma and uncertainty;
• your support network and the practical help available to you;
• your relationship, parenting and communication skills, where relevant;
• your health, finances and home environment;
• how other children or adults in the household may be affected;
• your ability to work with professionals and birth family members; and
• your capacity to manage a change in plan if adoption does not proceed.

The assessment is not simply about whether you could provide a loving home. It considers whether you can care for a child whose early experiences may include neglect, separation, medical uncertainty or disrupted relationships, while accepting that the legal outcome is not fully within your control.

4. Approval decisions

Your assessment report is considered by the relevant fostering approval panel or decision-maker, and the adoption assessment follows the applicable adoption process. The recommendation will cover the type of child and circumstances you may be able to manage, rather than treating approval as a general match with any child.

Approval does not mean that a child will automatically be placed with you. A local authority must identify a child for whom the arrangement is suitable and consider whether your household can meet that child’s needs. The child’s welfare and permanence plan remain the central considerations.

5. Matching and placement

When a child is identified, professionals share relevant information with you so that an informed decision can be made. This may include information about the child’s health, development, family background, behaviour, known risks, contact arrangements and the current legal position. You should have the opportunity to ask questions before agreeing to the placement.

Planning takes account of the child’s needs, your skills and experience, the people living in your household and any practical issues such as medical appointments or contact. A placement plan sets out how the child will be cared for, who will make particular decisions, how information will be shared and what support will be available.

Once the child moves in, you are caring for them under fostering arrangements. You must follow the agreed care plan and work with the child’s social worker and other professionals. Depending on the case, this can involve health assessments, social work visits, reviews, contact with birth relatives and evidence about the child’s progress.

6. Living together while decisions are made

The placement period can feel different from an ordinary adoption placement because the child’s future may still be under consideration. You may be encouraged to develop a strong attachment and provide ordinary family care, while also keeping accurate records and participating in professional assessments and meetings.

Contact with birth family members may continue, change or be supervised according to the child’s care plan and court directions. You should not make independent arrangements or promise long-term outcomes to relatives or others involved in the child’s life. Questions about contact, information sharing, delegated authority and day-to-day decisions should be raised with your supervising social worker or the child’s social worker.

Reviews take place to consider the child’s welfare and whether the plan remains appropriate. These reviews do not guarantee that adoption will be approved. They are part of the process through which professionals and the court consider the evidence about the child’s needs, relationships and future care.

7. The adoption decision and court stage

If adoption remains the agreed plan, the relevant adoption agency prepares the case and the prospective adopters proceed towards applying for an adoption order. The court considers whether making the order is in the child’s best interests and whether the legal requirements have been met. An adoption order changes the legal relationship between the child and the adopters, so it is a significant step rather than an automatic conclusion to the placement.

The timing and route can vary according to the child’s circumstances, the evidence available and the court proceedings. Until the legal process is complete, you should continue to follow the fostering arrangements and the instructions of the professionals responsible for the child’s care.

8. If adoption does not go ahead

Foster to adopt placements are planned around the possibility of adoption, but adoption is not guaranteed. If the plan changes, professionals will decide what arrangement best protects the child’s welfare. This could involve the child returning to birth family members or moving to another permanent placement. The effect on your household should be discussed during assessment and preparation, and support should be available to help you understand and manage the next steps.

Throughout the process, your fostering service and the child’s local authority should explain decisions, involve you where appropriate and identify the support you need. Before applying, ask how supervision, training, financial allowances, respite, therapeutic support and advice during legal proceedings are provided, as arrangements can differ between fostering services and local authorities.