Foster Carers Who Wish to Adopt

Social workers and Supervising social workers will occasionally need to consider requests from foster carers to adopt the child for whom they are caring.

Following the request being made the child's social worker and the carer's Supervising Social worker should visit the carer to discuss their motivation and the legal and lifelong implications of adoption. A member of the Adoption Team (usually the family finder) may also attend this meeting.

If the Carer wishes to proceed and the social worker and supervising social worker support this, they should arrange a viability meeting.

The viability meeting should be chaired by the Adoption Team Manager or Advanced Practitioner and the supervising social worker and the child's social worker should attend as well as the family finder. The purpose of the meeting will be to address any specific issues in relation to the possible placement and will follow the format of Linking Meeting.

There may be specific issues to address such as:

• Age and health of foster carers;
• Ability of foster carers to provide an appropriate adoption placement;
• Level of risk should birth parents know here a child is living;
• Wishes and feelings of the child;
• Financial implications for the foster carer;
• Future fostering status of the carer.

Foster carers who have had a child placed with them over 12 months are able to make a direct application to the Court [Non Agency Adoption] - see Non Agency Adoption Guidance. The viability meeting will decide if this route is more appropriate for the foster carer and if so whether Manchester Children's Services support this.

Adoption by foster carers can be a very positive outcome for some children. However it is important that if there are reasons why this should not be considered appropriate that these are addressed at the earliest opportunity.

Foster carers be assessed (i.e. not going down Non Agency route) will need to formally register their interest by completing the Registration of Interest form.

They will:

• Undertake Adoption Preparation Training (to prevent delay this may take place at any time during their assessment);
• Have up to date Disclosure and Barring Service checks (these may be those provided for fostering if they are dated within six months);
• References and medicals will be required.

The Assessment and Approvals of Prospective Adopters Procedure should then be followed from Stage Two and a PAR completed. Fostering and adoption are very different and the assessment of foster carers as prospective adopters should address the issue about the carer's understanding of this and their ability to meet the needs of a child in an adoptive placement.

Foster carers are entitled to the same information as other adopters and care should be taken to ensure that they are fully aware of all the issues relating to the child and their background.

The timescale for foster carers who make a formal application to adopt is the same as any other adopters ie. within 4 months of the date on which they Registered their Interest in adopting a child.

It is not Manchester's practice for a match and approval to be taken to panel at the same time.

Following the Agency Decision Makers decision on the approval and match the Procedure to Change Foster Placement to Adoption Placement should be followed.