ABSTRACT
The intention of long-term fostering is for the child to live in the household on a’permanent’ basis until they reach adulthood, and possibly beyond, so that the child forms a psychosocial base in their life. Because of this expectation, long-term fostering is often referred to as ‘permanent’. However, there is widespread confusion in social services departments as to what exactly is meant by the terms ‘long-term fostering’ and ‘permanence’ (Triseliotis et al., 2000; Lowe and Murch, 2001). In fostering, parental responsibility usually continues to be held by the local authority or the birth parent/s and the child can be removed at the instigation of a number of parties. An Adoption Order, on the other hand, confirms permanence through its legality, with all parental responsibilities being transferred to the adoptive family and the child can only be removed, as with any other child, if the adopter/s are found to be neglectful or abusive.
