Fostering to adopt, or concurrent planning, happens in cases where babies and children are likely to need adoption but assessments are still going as there might be a chance that the child can return to their birth family.
Concurrent carers are approved as foster carers and adopters at the same time.
They care for the child as foster carers initially whilst the courts decide if the child can return to its birth family.
If the court agrees that the birth family can offer safe and stable care to the child, the child will be returned to the birth family.
If however, the courts decide that it would not be safe for the child to return to their birth family, the child will remain with the concurrent carers and be adopted.
Concurrent planning affords young children the opportunity to be cared for by one consistent carer without the need to move to new carers if adoption becomes the primary plan.