Adoption vs Fostering
Fostering and adoption are two words that are often confused when it comes to their meanings and application as most people consider there is no difference between these two. Adoption is a legal process, whereas fostering is not a legal process. This is one of the main differences between adoption and fostering. However, one fact should be noted. Both these types of child care exist because the governments want the children in distress to have a happy and healthy life with the protection of a family. To be adopted or to get into foster care a child does not have to be an orphan.
What does Adoption mean?
According to the Oxford English dictionary, adopt means ‘Legally take (another’s child) and bring it up as one’s own.’ The act of adopting is known as adoption. The court transfers all the parental rights for the child to the new parents in the case of adoption. In fact, the child has every right to take the surname of the family that has adopted him or her. At the same time, he or she becomes part of that family too. It is important to know that adoption paves the way for psychological consequences for everyone concerned.
What does Fostering mean?
Fostering, on the other hand, is the ability to provide family life for the child born to parents different from those that foster. This kind of aid is given to the child in the event of the disability of the parents to provide family life to the child. This is done of course with the expectation that the child will return home happy and contented later as usually a child is only placed under foster care until he or she turns 18. This is the main difference between adoption and fostering.
It is important to know that in fostering, legal responsibility for the child lies with the birth parents, and not with the fostering parents. This is an important difference between adoption and fostering. In fact, there are various types of foster care such as permanent fostering, private fostering, short break care, short-term foster care, remand fostering, emergency foster care, and the like.
The number of varieties of fostering is to meet the needs of various types of children. It is indeed possible that some fostering parents may take care of the child for a few days and in some cases for quite a long period of time too.
What is the difference between Adoption and Fostering?
• Adoption is a legal process, whereas fostering is not a legal process. This is one of the main differences between adoption and fostering.
• The court transfers all the parental rights for the child to the new parents in the case of adoption.
• Fostering, on the other hand, is the ability to provide family life for the child born to parents different from those that foster.
• Usually, a child is at foster care until he or she turns 18.
• In fostering, legal responsibility for the child lies with the birth parents, and not with the fostering parents.
• There are various types of foster care such as permanent fostering, private fostering, short break care, short-term foster care, remand fostering, emergency foster care, and the like.
• These different types of foster care exist because every child’s need is different.
These are the important differences between adoption and fostering.