Child Development ( Care,foster and adoption)

1) Children are put into care of the local authority when their parents cant or wont look after them any more. 

2) Children that are put into the care of local authority social services are called ' looked after children'

3) Social services can put children into compulsory care if they're at risk from neglect or abuse in their home environment. They need a care order from the courts to do this.

4) Children going into care are often emotionally upset . They might miss their parents or might have been abused or neglected.

5) Children can be cared for in another family's home. This is called Fostering.

6) If they can't be looked after in a foster family. Children with special needs are often looked after in care homes. Abused children who have been so badley affected that they can't deal with family life are looked after at a residental care.

7) In residental care homes, trained adult care workers look after the children.

8) Children dont get a real family upbringing in a care home.

1) Foster parents look after other people's children full time in their own homes.

2) Foster care can be long term or short term. 

3) Children are fostered short term when their parents can't cope for a short time - e.g. because of a severe illness. Children with special needs can be fostered as 'respite care' to give the parents a break.

4) Fostered children get to experience 'family life'.

5) Children in foster care get to see their parents if its okay for them.

6) Foster parents can be married or unmarried, single or living with a partner. Social services check out the foster parents and their homes to make sure it's alright for children to live there.

7) Foster parents are paid by the local authority to keep the child.

1) Adopting a child means coming the permanent legal parent of one child.

2) Adoptive parents go through a strict checking procedure. An effort is made to match the personality and background of the parents to the child.

3) 50 years ago most children up for adoption were babies but now most aren't as young unmarried mums arent pressured into giving their babies up.

4) Adoptive agencies take care of the whole adoption process. Local authorities act as agencies and some are run by charities.

5) Once the child is adopted , adoptive parents have legal parental rights and responsbilities. THe child's birth parents are no longer the legal parents of the child.

6) Adoption agencies and local authorities dont pay adoptive parents any expenses. The parents have to pay for the child's upbringing just like a child they'd giving birth too.