wanting to adopt? So, what is the difference between fostering and adoption? Although there are some major differences, the similarities are enough to confuse people and make them unsure as to which procedure is which. After all, both fostering and adoption are about taking a child into your home and being a parental figure for them, taking care of them, and nurturing them. If you’re not sure what the difference between fostering and adopting is, but you know you want to make a difference in a child’s life, read on; we’ve put together some information to help you decide which route is right for you.
Permanency
The biggest difference between fostering and adoption is how permanent it is. When you adopt a child, you effectively become their parent, and they will remain with you for their entire lives, just as a biological child would. Children are put up for adoption when there is no chance that they will be able to go back to live with their parents, perhaps because of abuse, death, or because the parents have decided that they are not able to take care of a child in the right way. Adoption is legally binding.
Fostering is different. Foster care is only ever meant to be a temporary arrangement, and although you will be doing the same things for the child whether you adopt them or foster them, the eventual aim of fostering is for the child to go back to their parent or guardian at some stage. The idea is to keep the child safe and cared for while their parents, parent, or other family member do what is necessary to be able to offer a secure home for their child.
Parental Rights
When it comes to parental rights, a lot will depend on the situation that has meant the child is now going into foster care. However, in the majority of cases, birth parents will be able to retain parental rights over the child even if they are living with a foster family. Of course, sometimes these parental rights will need to be supervised by professionals, but they exist, nonetheless. They will only be severed if the child is subsequently put up for adoption. In other words, even if the child is in foster care, the parent or parents will still make decisions on their behalf or at least have a final veto over decisions.
This means that foster parents can’t make decisions on behalf of the child in areas such as:
- Schooling
- Medical care
- Religion
Some states have stricter rules than others, even down to having to get permission from a birth parent when the child needs a haircut. It will depend on many different factors, and foster parents need to be careful not to overstep any important lines.
When a child is adopted, the adopted parents take on all parental responsibility and are therefore able to make decisions on the child’s behalf just as they would a child they had biologically. The birth parents have no rights over the child at all once they are legally adopted.
