Quick answer: adoption is permanent: an adoption order makes you the child’s legal parent for life. Fostering is caring for a child who remains in the care of the local authority, for anything from a night to many years. Foster carers receive an allowance (and usually a fee) and ongoing support; adopters take on full parental responsibility and do not receive a fostering allowance.
The key differences
| Fostering | Adoption | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | The local authority (and often birth parents) keep parental responsibility; carers get delegated authority for day-to-day decisions | Adoptive parents get full parental responsibility for life |
| How long | From one night to long-term, until adulthood | Permanent |
| Money | Weekly allowance per child, plus a fee with most services | No fostering allowance; some families get adoption support or allowances in certain cases |
| Birth family contact | Usually regular family time (contact) | Usually limited, such as letterbox contact |
| Support | Supervising social worker, training and out-of-hours help | Adoption support available, but less day-to-day involvement after the order |
| Assessment | Usually around 4 to 6 months | Usually around 6 months, then matching can take longer |
Parental responsibility
When you adopt, a court makes an adoption order and you become the child’s legal parent. When you foster, you care for the child every day but legal responsibility stays with the local authority, and often the birth parents too. Foster carers are given delegated authority for everyday decisions such as haircuts, school trips and sleepovers.
Money and support
Foster carers receive a weekly allowance for each child to cover their costs, and most also receive a fee for their time and skills. See how much foster carers get paid. Adoptive parents are financially responsible for their child like any other parent, though they can get adoption leave and pay from work, and some families get help with therapy and other support.
Can foster carers adopt?
Sometimes. If a child you are fostering cannot return home and adoption is the plan, you can ask to be assessed as their adopter. Some councils also offer early permanence (sometimes called fostering for adoption), where approved adopters foster a baby who is likely to be adopted. Long-term fostering and special guardianship are other routes to a permanent home.
Which is right for you?
Fostering suits people who want to help children through a hard time, are comfortable working with social workers and birth families, and can say goodbye when a child moves on. Adoption suits people who want to become a parent permanently. Many people start by talking to both a fostering service and an adoption agency.
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FAQs
Do foster parents get paid more than adoptive parents?
Foster carers receive a weekly allowance for each child and usually a fee. Adoptive parents do not receive a fostering allowance, although some get adoption support or allowances in particular circumstances.
Can you foster to adopt in the UK?
Yes. Early permanence (fostering for adoption) lets approved adopters foster a child who is likely to be adopted, so the child does not have to move again.
Is fostering or adoption quicker?
Fostering assessments usually take around 4 to 6 months, and children can be placed soon after approval. Adoption assessments take a similar time, but finding the right match can take longer.
Do foster children keep contact with their birth family?
Usually yes. Most foster children have regular family time with their birth family, arranged by their social worker.
