Fostering and adoption

Fostering involves giving a safe and caring family home to a child (or children) aged 0 to 18 who cannot live with their parents. This could be for several reasons. The care you provide is temporary until the child returns home or lives independently.

Adoption is a way to provide a loving home for children who can for whatever reason, no longer be brought up by their birth parents or within the birth family. After adoption, all rights and responsibilities are transferred from the original parents to the adoptive parents. The child assumes the surname of the new parents, receives an adoption certificate to replace their birth certificate and becomes a permanent and full member of the new family.

A Special Guardianship Order (SGO) secures a child’s long-term home with someone who is not their parent. It lasts until the child turns 18. Special guardians gain an enhanced form of parental responsibility. 

You can find out more about Fostering, Adoption and Special Guardianship here: Fostering, adoption and looked after children