Has anyone adopted a child they were fostering?

[kyrieLouise1]

Hi we have been foster carers for 3 years, have never considered adopting as had three children of our own who are now 17,15 and 12. We just wanted to give back and I love children so felt it was an amazing thing to do! We have fostered 34 children over our three years but currently have a baby who we have cared for since Baby was 18 hours old. We have fallen in love with baby who has no contact with BP as they never turn up for contact. We have this week informed babies SW that we would like to adopt baby. Have any other foster carers done this and what’s the process. We have a meeting booked for a week Wednesday with child’s SW, SSW and their managers. 😍🤪

I did fta which I appreciate is a different process, but have known several foster carers who have done this, most often sadly after an adoption breakdown and the child being returned to their care. It's come from not wanting to put the child through the trauma again and a feirce protectiveness rather than your situation though. In each of the cases I've known, the foster carers went through a sped up process whilst the child remained living with them. They were welcomed with open arms and supported by all sw's involved, I think they continued to get paid a fostering/adoption allowance but that might have been specific to their children. Good luck and how wonderful your baby won't need to move.

We have. Slightly different in that we expressed an interest in adopting our son before he was even placed. We went through care proceedings as foster carers and once the placement order was granted we were assessed and approved as adopters and then matched. We had to go through the whole approval process just the same as everyone else but we were approved and matched at the same panel and then had to wait the 16 weeks before we could apply for the adoption order as if he bad never lived with us . He came to us age 11 months and was adopted about 18 months later.
We still see birth parents once a year as we had a relationship with them due to frequent contact whilst we were fostering him.
We also had older birth children ( 27, 25 , 17 ) and a long term foster child who is still with us ( aged 13 now ).
I really hope things work out for you x

Many foster carers do go on and adopt the children in their care. You will have to be assessed as adopters and approved at adoption panel before being formally matched to the child for adoption. There is no guarantees that you will be deemed a suitable match but the pros of reducing trauma by avoiding another move will be weighed up against any cons. One thing I would add is that if there is already adopted siblings they may seek to place her with them as some social workers and courts view placement with siblings as a preference. There are many arguments for and against this but it could be an issue. I hope it works out for you and the child.

Yes, me! Adopter first (11 years in), then foster carer for six years. LittleMy (adopted child number two) was placed with me @ a few hours old and in the first week of placement I was asked if I would consider adopting her. Two years of legal wrangles and a rollercoaster of emotions later (going back, not going back), the aforementioned LittleMy is happily snoring and starfishing in MY bed and, once again, I’ll be relegated to her single high-sleeper. Again...for the millionth time.

What I would say is: do you have an appropriate and separate bedroom for your Baby to grow into? Do you have the IRO & CAFCASS guardian on side (absolutely crucial, in my experience)? What is the agenda/plan of the Family Court judge? Can you afford to adopt rather than being a foster carer, as the majority of cash-starved local authorities will not be paying adoption allowances for easy-to-place, reaching-their-milestones babies? Could you survive financially if Childrens’s Social Care decided that, millions and squillions of spare bedrooms notwithstanding, that you would no longer be permitted to foster?

Hi guys thank you so much for your responses. Baby is number four of siblings but I do know that the adopters of other three have said no to adopting number 4. We are financially secure on just my husbands wage and could afford this baby within our minimum wage (what hubby earns if I'm without a placement). We are in the process of moving house and new house has enough room for baby to grow into so no issues on the room side of things. We have been told we can continue to foster even if we adopt and we aren't expecting any financial help, we just can't bear the thought of baby going to anyone else. Baby has never seen BP as they have refused all contact (probably protecting themselves from the trauma of having to say goodbye to baby number 4) and they are also drug users and we had to nurse baby through withdrawal for many weeks! Baby may not be a hard to place child but with other health issues (Mrsa and hep c) baby may not be top of every bodies list! We just can't see ourselves without bub and although we never expected to adopt here we are!! My birth children are over the moon at the prospect of baby becoming a permanent member of our family! I have wondered to myself if I feel this way because baby has no one else fighting for them! All my other placements have had parents living and fighting for them even if they weren't able to provide everything they needed they still tried to keep them. Baby has no one but us and maybe I just feel protective as essentially we are the only ones who have ever loved them??!! I don't know just rambling now, alll I know is both me and my hubby want her to stay with us and can take in everything baby may have to deal with now and in the future!! 😍

Well then there is nothing to stop you trying to adopt her by the sounds of it.
Once she has lived with you over 12 months you can just apply to the courts direct but less than that and soc services will call the shots to some extent so keep them onside . Have they said they are happy for you to adopt her ?

Our social worker said she will support us and her two SW both seem pleased. Have a meeting a week Wednesday with managers to talk it through but looks like this could happen for us!

Oh how exciting. All the best. Keep us updated x

Hi @ OP, it sounds like your heads, hearts, the planets and the stars are all in alignment and, fingers crossed, you will be Baby’s forever family. You sound like you’ll be the best possible advocate Baby could have, especially with such a poor start in life.

What I would say, though, is that you may find that if/when you adopt your little one, that you find that fostering is no longer compatible with you meeting the ongoing needs of a child with significant health issues.

Good luck!