Welcoming a child into your home is a blessing, regardless if you opt for fostering or adoption. You provide a nurturing environment for the child and are ready to give the utmost care to your charge. But which one is truly right for you? Is fostering the best route toward parenting or adoption? Let’s find out here.

Differences of Fostering And Adoption

Before we delve deeper into the differences between fostering and adoption, we need to understand the differences.

Fostering

Fostering is the act of taking care of young children (from babies to teenagers) who require a safe and nurturing place to live. The government gives the foster carers a fostering allowance per child to take children into their homes. Foster parenting is impermanent and you may receive different children to foster. In fostering, the foster children can be transferred to another foster home, reunited with the biological family, or adopted by the carers.

Adoption

Adoption is the legal transfer of parenthood towards the adoptive parents. It is a process of taking full responsibility for a child in terms of financial and emotional aspects. In adopting a child, the adoptive parents give their name to the child. Once you finalize the adoption process, the biological parents cease to have the right to the child, and the action is irreversible.

Purpose

The primary goal of fostering is to have a temporary home for the child while the government seeks to reunite the biological parents and the foster child. Yes, the carers can adopt the foster children, but the priority is unification. Fostering is best for you if you have no intention of adopting the child. But if you develop genuine emotions, you have no legal right to the child you foster unless you choose to adopt.

On the other hand, the main objective of adoption is to take the child legally, and you get to call the child your own and raise them according to your will. However, there’s a slight chance that the child’s biological parents may want to be involved in later life.

Duration Of Care

In fostering, you give temporary care for the child. However, with adoption, you will care for the child forever. So you would be the perfect foster parent if you have no intention of caring for a child in the long-term, for whatever reason.

If you sincerely want to care for a child for the rest of your life, adoption is the better fit. You have a lifetime to care for the child, but of course, you must be ready for the challenges that having a kid brings.

Relationships

A foster child is legally bonded to their biological parents, and the government is the legal guardian. When you decide to foster a child, your role is a caretaker, though you can care for the child as your own. While in adoption, you became the legal parent of the child. The biological parents have no claim whatsoever, and you make all the decisions for the adopted child. Contact an attorney for any legal counsel about adoption or foster parenting.

Financial Aspect

Foster carers receive a considerable amount of money from the government. After you qualify to be a foster parent, you start getting children to raise in your home. In exchange, you receive a fostering allowance per child. The money is for the basic needs of the kids and your effort.

With adoption, you pay for adopting a child, and all the financial responsibility falls on you. The government will not financially contribute to your needs to raise the child. However, there are some adoption assistance programs available to adoptive parents.

In Conclusion

Both fostering and adoption have their advantages and drawbacks. The Guidance Agency is here to help you figure out which one is best for you. Feel free to contact us, and we will guide you through the process. We truly understand how complex the situation is, and we have abundant resources and knowledge to help you every step of the way.