You may be considering adopting or fostering a child, or, indeed, have been fostered or adopted yourself and be looking for information. These details are designed to provide you with information that you will need.
What is adoption?
Adoption is the legal act of permanently placing a child with a parent or parents other than the birth parents. Your Local Authority acts as an Adoption Agency and is legally allowed to arrange adoptions.
In order to make this arrangement legal, however, the courts have to make an Adoption Order.
What is fostering?
Fostering involves a child going to live with a family – rather than in a residential environment – when they are unable to live at home.
There are two different types of fostering: Task Centred Fostering where the child will, at some point, move back to their parents or to a long-term foster family, and Long Term Fostering where the child is placed with a family for the duration of its childhood.
Adoption
In order to adopt, you must comply with certain legal regulations, Norfolk County Council Adoption Unit will be able to tell you if you are eligible and advise you on application procedures. They will also be able to provide you with post-adoption services such as ongoing support.
For further information about adoption and fostering, you can visit the government’s public services website.
You could also visit the Adoption and Fostering Welfare Line
For further details about post-adoption services, you can contact After Adoption which is the largest national provider of independent after adoption support services.
Fostering
Foster carers are needed from all walks of life; all backgrounds, with or without children already, in a relationship or single.
Norfolk County Council will be able to give you more information about fostering children in the Breckland area and will also advise you on how to get the ball rolling should you want to investigate the possibility.
For further information about fostering and adoption, you can visit the government’s public services website.
You could also visit the Adoption and Fostering Welfare Line or the Fostering Network website.
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