What is a Foster Family?
Foster Family is a way to aid children who, due to whatever reasons, are not able to stay under their biological parents' supervision. People who are not child's parent take care of the child giving him/her the opportunity to grow in an environment that is as close to natural as possible. Child is put under foster care until the problems, that led to it happening, are resolved.
What are foster parents able to give to a child in need?
• they maintain 24/7 care and upbringing,
• treat the child with respect and dignity,
• care for education and kindle child's passions and hobbies,
• provide access to healthcare,
• meet child's emotional, developmental, societal and religious needs,
• shelter from unlawful third party interference with child's personal life,
• enable contact with biological parents and other people close to the child, unless, due to child's well-being, court decides otherwise.
For foster care it is important to prepare a child for an independent, responsible, worthy life. So that she/he is able to conquer hardships and maintain healthy social relationships.
Differences between foster family and adoption
In fact one should not compare foster care to an adoption. Very different are the goals and functions of the two. The only thing they have in common is that they both act as a substitute for biological parents.
Foster family is established when child's biological family needs help. Adoptive family is its substitute. It supersedes biological family.
Temporary foster family
A temporary form of taking care of a child, easy to cease, lasts at most to the age of maturity. Adoptive family: permanent form of taking care of a child, possible to cease only in extraordinary cases...
Changeable foster family
At any moment in time a family may be dismissed and a child may return to their biological family, a care facility or be eligible for adoption.
Adoptive family: extraordinarily and only because of important reasons may be dismissed, but adoptive parents may have their parental rights limited, in the same was as biological parents.
In relation with the child's family
Foster family: a child cared for by a foster family has the right to information about their origin, a right to bond and to contact biological parents. Child is not given a different birth certificate. Adoptive family: a child often does not know their biological family, cannot contact them, does not know their origin. Adoption is a secret and a child has his/her birth certificate altered.
Financially supported foster family
Receives financial support from the government to cover costs of living and supporting the child. Adoptive family: covers all the costs of upbringing (as is in the case of having one's own children).