There are many exciting and challenging job roles in social care work but perhaps none so rewarding as working with families who wish to foster or adopt a child.
Foster families and those wishing to adopt can often completely change the life of a child who may have had a difficult start in life, often suffering from neglect or even abuse. Being placed with the right family can turn a shy and timid child into a happy, vibrant and bubbly one, and being part of this process can be very gratifying as a social worker.
It’s a long, tough process for those people who wish to adopt or foster, with a lot of hoops to jump through, but unless people wish to adopt a child from overseas, there is not usually any cost involved to families, couples or single people looking to adopt a child, but it is important to go through the proper foster care training process.
The adoption process begins with an initial assessment by a social worker, followed by several months of checks which can involve checking financial security, the suitability of the candidate’s home, the candidate’s health and getting references from their friends, family and work colleagues.
Candidates are also expected to attend classes and seminars about adoption, where in addition to learning more about the process and about child development, they can meet other people in a similar situation and support each other on their journey.
After around six to eight months, the social worker prepares a written report on the suitability of the candidates for adoption, and they attend an adoption panel made up of 10 people, who make a recommendation as to the suitability of the candidate(s) to adopt. Most people who go to the panel are approved, and the panel often also makes a recommendation about what age of child would be appropriate.
Long term fostering – when a child is placed with a person or family until they reach adulthood – can also be a rewarding option for potential parents. It’s often a good option for children who are slightly older, who still have a lot of contact with their relatives, who have complex care needs or who simply don’t want to be adopted.
As a social worker, being part of the fostering or adoption process could be one of the best things you ever do – so why not consider a career in one of the many job roles in social care work?