CYP Now - Opinion: If I Were in Charge of... Fostering and Adoption

If I were in charge of a local authority's fostering and adoption services the first thing I'd do is encourage more people to adopt than foster because it gives a child in the care system stability and makes it easier for them to trust that person and confide in them.

I'd encourage more people to adopt by stressing the rewards you get and the satisfaction you get from seeing a young person do well.

On the fostering side of things, I wouldn't move children around so much.

I wouldn't have respite care as it feels like a job someone is doing.

Foster placements feel more like a family, adoption a home and respite a job. There are three different options but adoption's the best.

To encourage placement stability I'd draw up agreements between social services, foster carers and the looked-after young person to ensure that the foster carer could keep the child as long as they liked and adopt them if they wanted. Of course, if the child doesn't like a placement, that's different.

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