Parents to be
Pregnancy and the arrival of a child can be a stressful time. Pregnant mothers and fathers-to-be may need help and support to get ready for the birth of their child. They may need help to make sure the right support in place once their child is born.
On this page you will find information and FAQs about:
Help, support and pre-birth assessment
Our first four FAQs answer the questions parents to be, may first have if they need extra support. Or if children’s services are worried about their unborn baby.
Previous involvement with children’s services or the care system
How children’s services may respond when worried about a baby’s safety
New-born babies and foster for adoption

Foster for adoption is a type of foster care used when adoption is being considered for a child. It:
- Involves babies and younger children who are looked after living with foster carers who may go on to adopt them
- Is allowed even though adoption is not yet the formal plan for the child
- Can happen even though the Family Court has not agreed.
The idea is that the child is able to form a strong, early relationship with the people who may go on to adopt them.
Children’s services and the Family Court have to follow strict legal procedures before a child can live with a family who wants to adopt them.But the law and process is different if children’s services want to place a child with foster for adoption foster carers.
It is very important that any parent who thinks children’s services may be proposing their child is cared for by foster for adoption foster carers urgently:
- Seeks legal advice from a solicitor who is a specialist in children law. Or who has Children Law Accreditation. To find a solicitor, search using the ‘how to find a solicitor’ function on the Law Society website. See our Working with a solicitor guide on our Top tips and templates page for more information about finding and working with a solicitor, or
- Contacts us – call Family Rights Group’s specialist legal and practice advice line on 0808 801 0366 (the advice line is open Monday to Friday, from 9.30 am to 3 pm excluding bank holidays)
- Read our Foster for adoption: information for parents advice sheet.
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