Adoption is a legal status that places a child in the hands of an adult that is much the same as one who is being brought up by their biological parents. As such, it is meant to be a permanent situation which cannot be broken unless there are extreme circumstances, such as the child needing to be taken into care. Fostering, on the other hand, is a temporary arrangement whereby a child is placed into the care of an adult, usually by the state, so that they can be looked after for a limited period only.