Welsh Early Permanence (WEP)

With most children in Wales, when they are first removed from their birth family either just before or at the start of care proceedings, they are either placed with family members or in a short term foster placement with approved foster carers. If the local authority plan, ratified by the court, is for the child to either be reunified with birth parents or placed with family members, then the child moves from their foster placement at the end of proceedings. If the care plan for adoption is accepted by the court, then the foster carer sees the child through their transition to their adoptive placement. With WEP, the foster carers who take the child at the start of proceedings are also approved prospective adoptive parents. They act as any foster carers, caring for the child, facilitating contact with birth family and taking part in the child’s looked after reviews. If the care plan is for reunification or placement with family, then they help the child with the transition to their birth family. If the care plan is for adoption, then the child stays with the foster carers who then become their adoptive parents.

Becoming a WEP carer is not for everyone. However, if you are interested in learning more about this as an option you can sign up to a training session (WEP Preparation Training for Carers) which will look in more detail at the role of the WEP foster carer. At the end of that course you may decide that WEP is not for you but you will at least have explored the option. Following the initial training day, if you are still interested, then you can take part in a further training day course that prepares you for being a foster carer.

For more information: Adopt Cymru: Welsh Early Permanence