Why people should focus on fostering rather than adoption

Many people who are able to offer a child a loving, secure home, consider either adopting a child or becoming foster carers. While both of these provide an invaluable way to change the life of a child in need, there are reasons why it is better to focus more on fostering rather than adopting.

The need for loving foster carers to come on board in the UK is more urgent than ever, with a rising number of children entering into the care system and looking for foster homes on a short or long term basis. For these children, finding a suitable foster home as quickly as possible is of paramount importance, as otherwise, they could end up having to move a long way from their friends, school and family.

Key reasons to consider fostering over adoption

There are a number of key reasons why you should consider fostering a child rather than opting for adoption. Some of these reasons include:

Being able to help more children: As a foster carer who provides a loving environment for a child or children on a temporary basis, you have the ability to help far more children than if you adopt a child. This means that you can help to transform the lives of multiple children during your time as a foster carer, devoting your skills, time and love to them for as long as they need your help.

Providing more help to a child: When you foster a child, you can help him or her to avoid being moved around the care system by providing a stable and loving home for as long as they need it. You can also help children to avoid the misery of being moved to another area altogether due to lack of foster care facilities in their own area.

Being able to help vulnerable children: Many children who are in the care system are desperately in need of a stable and loving environment, as they are often in vulnerable positions and have suffered difficulties in their own lives. As a foster carer, you can provide this loving and secure home, helping these children to see the world from a more positive perspective and in many cases helping to change their lives for the better.

Helping a child to avoid residential care: Being unable to find a foster home or continued breakdowns in foster care placements could result in a child ending up in residential care, even though fostering is the best option for them. As a foster carer, you can help kids to avoid ending up in residential care and instead provide them with the security and loving home that they so desperately need.

As a foster carer, you will also enjoy immense satisfaction from helping not just one but in some cases many children who will benefit hugely from the stability that you can bring to their lives. To find out more about fostering a child, you can get in touch with the team at Fostering Solutions.