Foster care involves caring for and supporting children or young people who are unable to live with their birth parents, either on a short or long-term basis. Placing a child in foster care is never an easy decision, and there are many reasons why it may occur.
Fostering or adoption
The difference between fostering and adoption is that adoption is a permanent arrangement, providing children with new families. In fostering, the children remain the responsibility of the local authority and their birth parents. While it is not a permanent arrangement, the duration a child spends in foster care varies and can last until they are eighteen or beyond.
To find out more about fostering in your area, use a relevant internet search. For example, a search for foster care Llanelli will give results like saferfostering.org.uk/foster-care-wales/llanelli/.
Why are children in foster care?
There are several reasons why it may not be considered safe for children to remain with their birth families. If it is suspected or known that a child is being physically, emotionally, or sexually abused, they may be removed and placed in foster care. Another common reason for foster care is neglect.
While the majority of cases involve abuse or neglect, not all children requiring foster care have come from a poor home life. Sometimes, foster care provides a temporary solution when a parent is unwell, perhaps involving a hospital stay, and there are no other family members who are able to take care of the children, with the children returned to their parents once they have recovered.
