Fostering vs Adoption: What are the Key Differences?

If you’re part of the 18% of people in the UK who don’t have children, adoption might have crossed your mind. It’s one option for people who can’t have children of their own or who want to expand their family helping a child who needs a safe and loving home, but it’s not the only option.

Fostering is another path you can choose, and it might be preferable for some people. 

If you’re unsure about which option is better for you, it’s essential you understand the key differences between fostering and adoption. Below I explore these distinctions. 

Knowing Child Law

Before you get started with even deciding whether to adopt or foster, you need to check that it’s possible in your situation. The best approach is to contact child custody lawyers who can give expert advice about what you can and can’t do. Their insight will help with issues over caring responsibilities as well as wider issues relating to child custody in the event of a divorce for example. These are issues you might have considered but a family lawyer can explain what might arise when it comes to adoption and fostering.

Once you’re clear on the rules on adoption and fostering, you can deep-dive into why you want to consider either pathway. The child’s interest should always be your top priority and, whether you think you can provide a good life to child who will need emotional and financial support. 

Diverse Responsibilities

You’ve probably heard of both adoption and fostering, but you’d be forgiven for not being aware of the differences between them as they’re often banded together under the same label. There are key distinctions however. 

Adoption is a permanent agreement where you commit to taking on the responsibility of a child for their whole life. In other words, you’ll be raising them as if are your own, and you’ll have all the same rights that biological parents of children have. This is a huge decision, and it’s one that you cannot back out of once the wheels are in motion.

Fostering, on the other hand, is a temporary way to look after children who are not your own. There are almost 400,000 children in foster care in the USA, highlighting how many need a home. If you choose to foster, you might care for a child for a few weeks or months, but all parties involved know that it’s not a permanent situation.

Which One is Right For You?

Once you begin researching, it will become clear which path is right for you.

For those unable to offer a longer-term living situation for a child but can help quickly and for short periods find fostering suits them better.

Others who feel they can take on the responsibility of a child long-term opt to adopt.

It’s a massive decision either way, so make sure you’re clued-up before you make either decision. 

 

Further Reading:

Fertility Rate Falling in the UK – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g7x5kl5l8o

The Cost Of Raising a Child in the US – https://honestmum.com/the-cost-of-raising-a-child-in-the-us/