Jamia - Centres -Centre for Early Childhood Development and Research

Foster Care and Adoption

Foster Care and Adoption are words often used inter-changeably. They are, in fact, very separate concepts that only share the similarity of being family-based care services. Some differences include:

Foster Care	Adoption
Foster Care is a care arrangement up to the age of 18.	Adoption is legal care arrangement with no time limit as often called as “permanent”
Foster Parents are guardians of a child	Adoptive parents have all legal rights and responsibilities of the child.
Foster Children do not inherent anything from foster parents and do have not have legal rights to property, surname, etc.	Adopted Children have a right to inheritance as per Indian law the same as a biological child may have including property, surname, etc.
Adoption order is an order by the CWC/ court system awarded on one occasion.	Adoption order is an order by the CWC/ court system awarded on one occasion.
The Indian government provides financial support to the foster parents.	No financial support is provided by the Indian government for Adoptive Parents