Providing a safe and loving home for children and young people who cannot live with their birth families is an incredibly important and rewarding role. However, there are different ways to offer this support. Fostering, adoption, and supported lodgings each serve distinct purposes. This is a summary of the differences between these options, to help you determine which path might be right for you.
Fostering
Fostering is a temporary arrangement that provides children and young people with a stable and caring environment while their birth family is unable to care for them. The length of a foster placement can vary from a few nights to many years, depending on the circumstances. Foster carers do not have legal parental responsibility for the children they care for; instead, this remains with the local authority or the birth parents in some cases.
The role of a foster carer
A foster carer looks after children on behalf of the local authority (which can also be called social services or the health and social services trust in Northern Ireland), either as a local authority carer or as a carer for an independent fostering agency (IFA).
In some cases, birth parents have agreed to their children being in foster care for a time so the local authority may share parental responsibility with the child’s birth parents, in other cases the local authority will have obtained a court order to give them full parental responsibility. Either way, a foster carer does not hold direct parental responsibility for the children in their home.
Foster carers receive a fostering allowance to cover the cost of caring for the child, and in some cases, additional fees for specialist placements.
What happens next for children in foster care?
Foster carers do not have direct input into the plan for the children in their care, although they are included in the regular looked after child (LAC) reviews, where those involved in the child’s care discuss the current care plan and next steps. Ultimately, social workers will make decisions, which must then be approved by a judge in the family court.
Fostering to adopt
Also called ‘concurrent care’ or ‘early permanence placement’ (EPP), this is where prospective carers are approved for both fostering and adoption, and children who are highly likely to be adopted but have not yet been granted a placement order are placed. Many children are placed at birth or when they are very young. Fostering to adopt reduces the number of potential moves a child will experience.
Adoption
Adoption is the legal process by which children who can no longer be cared for by their birth family, formally and permanently join another family. Sometimes children are placed for adoption at the request of, or in agreement with, their birth parents, but often children are placed following court processes that remove their parental rights and responsibilities. Once an adoption order is granted, the adoptive parents have the same rights and responsibilities as if the child was born to them.
Children who need adoption
Every child placed for adoption will have a unique set of experiences that will shape their understanding and identity. All have experienced a level of trauma and separation, even children who have been in foster care from birth. Many will have had an unsettled or chaotic start in life, and may have suffered neglect or abuse in their early months and years. Such experiences will affect each child throughout their life, in different ways and at different times.
Very few babies are waiting to be adopted. Most children placed for adoption are between the ages of one and seven. Occasionally older children will be adopted, but it is often felt that a long-term foster placement will better provide the stability they need.
The children who wait the longest for adoption tend to be:
- Over the age of four
- Part of a sibling group
- Of Black or minority ethnic heritage
- Living with additional or complex needs
Supported Lodgings
Supported lodgings is a provision for for young people aged 16 or over who need a stable living environment but do not require full foster care. They live in the home of a ‘host’ family, individual or couple. This arrangement allows young people to develop independence while still benefiting from the guidance of a responsible adult.
In sharing a home through supported lodgings, young people can learn practical life skills in a safe space with the encouragement of a trusted adult. Hosts have the privilege of standing alongside young people during this transition time, offering support, experience and care.
The role of a supported lodgings host
A supported lodgings host provides a young person with a room in their home, along with emotional and practical support. This can include help with cooking, budgeting, education, or employment. Supported lodgings are particularly beneficial for young people transitioning out of the care system, offering them a stepping stone towards independent living.
Who might benefit from supported lodgings?
Although not appropriate for all young people, supported lodgings can be suitable for a wide cohort of young people, including:
- Those entering the care system for the first time as older teenagers.
- Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC).
- Young people in care seeking to transition out of foster care and move towards independent living.
- Young people who have struggled with independent living and wish to return to a more supported environment.
Whether you’re interested in fostering, adoption, or providing supported lodgings, each option requires dedication, patience, and a heart for supporting young people.
If you are considering fostering, adoption, or providing supported lodgings, we would love to help you explore this journey further. Chat with our team or join one of our online information sessions to learn more about how you can make a difference in a child or young person’s life.
