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Fostering for adoption: what early permanence actually means
Fostering for adoption, also called early permanence, means being approved as both a foster carer and a prospective adopter so a child - usually a baby or very young child - can be placed with you sooner, while the family court is still deciding their long-term future. It's one of the most emotionally demanding routes in fostering, because the outcome isn't guaranteed until the court says so.
Written by Sam Allcock · Last updated 24 August 2026 · Last reviewed 24 August 2026
What fostering for adoption actually involves
Fostering for adoption (FfA) is a Department for Education scheme, alongside the related concurrent planning model, that together are known as "early permanence." Both aim to reduce the number of moves a child experiences before they settle permanently, by placing them with carers who are approved for both fostering and adoption at the same time, from an early stage. [Coram Centre for Early Permanence, resources; CoramBAAF, "The Role of Fostering for Adoption in Achieving Early Permanence for Children"]
In practice, this means a child - most often a baby or infant where adoption is likely to be the plan - is placed with you while care proceedings are still ongoing, rather than moving into one foster placement during proceedings and then a separate adoptive placement once an order is made. If the court later confirms adoption, you simply continue caring for the child as their adoptive parent; the child never has to move again for that reason.
How it compares to the other main types
| Type | Typical length | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Fostering for adoption | Weeks to months, transitioning to permanent adoption if confirmed | Giving a child likely to be adopted continuity of carer from the earliest possible stage |
| Short-term | Weeks to around two years | Caring for a child while their long-term plan is decided |
| Long-term | Years, often to adulthood | A stable, settled home for a child who won't be returning to birth family or being adopted |
| Parent-and-child | Weeks to months | Supporting and assessing a parent alongside their baby or child |
Fostering for adoption is not the same as adoption
This is the single most important thing to understand before considering this route. While the child is placed with you, they remain legally a looked-after child in foster care - the local authority retains parental responsibility alongside the birth parents, exactly as in any other fostering arrangement, and you do not yet have the legal status of an adoptive parent. That only changes if and when the family court makes a final adoption order. Our fostering vs adoption guide sets out the full legal and financial differences between the two statuses in detail.
The honest risk. Because the court process is still running while the child is with you, the outcome is not guaranteed to be adoption. It's possible, though relatively uncommon given the careful assessment involved, for the court to decide on a different plan - such as return to birth family or a placement with a relative under a Special Guardianship Order. Anyone considering this route needs to go in understanding that risk honestly, not assuming it away.
Who is approved for this route
You can't simply request fostering for adoption at the point of a first enquiry. It's specifically for people who have already been approved as prospective adopters through the standard adoption assessment process, and who then go through additional preparation and approval as a temporary foster carer for that specific purpose, so that you're legally permitted to care for a child under fostering regulations before any adoption order exists. Local voluntary adoption agencies and regional adoption agencies run this alongside their standard adoption service - if you're already partway through adoption approval, ask your agency directly whether early permanence is something they offer and whether your circumstances fit.
Is there a fee or allowance?
Yes, you're paid a fostering allowance for the period the child is legally in foster care with you, in the same way any foster carer is, set against the same National Minimum Allowance bands described in our full allowance guide. Once an adoption order is made, that changes: ongoing adoption doesn't carry an equivalent weekly allowance in the way fostering does, though adopters may be entitled to statutory adoption leave and pay through their employer. We haven't found a single published national figure specific to fostering-for-adoption placements, so we won't invent one - ask the agency handling your approval for the specific rate that would apply during the fostering period.
Frequently asked questions
Is fostering for adoption the same as adoption?
No. While a child is placed with you under fostering for adoption, they are legally a looked-after child in foster care, not yet adopted. The arrangement is designed to lead to adoption, but only becomes adoption once the family court makes an adoption order.
What happens if the court decides against adoption?
The child could be moved to a different long-term arrangement, such as returning to birth family or a Special Guardianship Order with a relative. This is the honest, difficult risk carers take on with this route, and it is why approval as both a foster carer and prospective adopter, plus specific preparation, is required before you're matched.
Do you need to be approved as an adopter first?
Yes. Fostering for adoption placements only go to prospective adopters who have already been approved through the adoption assessment process and separately approved as temporary foster carers for that specific route - it is not an option you can choose at the point of a standard fostering enquiry.