What is adoption?
Put simply, adoption is a way of providing a new family for children who cannot be
brought up by their own parents. It's a legal procedure in which all the parental responsibility is transferred to the adopters.
Once an adoption order has been granted it can't be reversed except in extremely rare circumstances. When a child is adopted
it loses all legal ties with its birth parents and becomes a full member of the new family, in most cases taking the family's
name.
What is the difference between being a foster parent and
adoption?
The main difference between fostering and adoption is the foster carers share the
responsibility for the child with a local authority and the child's parents, and in most cases fostering is a temporary
arrangement. In some cases the child may be placed with a long term foster carer, this is rare as it cannot provide the same
legal security as adoption for either the child or the foster family but it may be the right plan for some children.
Who needs adopting?
You would be amazed, last year alone there were over 6000 children across the
UK needing adoption. These children are from a great variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds. They have varing needs,
some children are disabled and have special needs as a result, some have suffered physical or mental abuse which may or may
not make their behaviour challenging, over half of them are in groups of brothers and sisters who need to be placed together.
Who can apply to adopt?
In order to apply to adopt you must fulfil the criteria below:
- Marital Status - married couples, cohabiting couples and same-sex couples can
all adopt, single people.
- Age - You must be over 21 years of age (18 if one of a couple is the birth
parent). There is no upper age limit, but the placing authority must be confident anyone adopting a child will have the energy
required and be in good enough health to offer a stable home.
- Finances - You do not need to be a millionaire or a celebrity or
even a homeowner to adopt, but will need to give details of income and explain how you would support a child. You must have
adequate space to cater for the needs of the child and, depending on your circumstances, may be eligible for financial support
from the local authority, reviewed annually.
- Health - parents need the energy to cope with family life and meet the needs
of the child throughout childhood and into early adulthood. Health and well-being play a part in the assessment process, but
you are not automatically disqualified for being disabled, overweight, or having a medical condition.
- Other Considerations - If you have a criminal record, you must disclose this when
applying. It will not automatically disqualify you from adopting, but the law will not permit anyone to adopt or foster if
they, or a member of their household, has been convicted or cautioned for offences against a child. Smoking, due to the effects
of passive smoking on babies and children, some adoption agencies are cautious about placing a young child in a smoking household,
particularly if they have a history of heart or respiratory problems. Smokers are not automatically discounted from adopting,
but an adoption agency will consider the possible effects and discuss the associative issues with prospective adopters.
How do I apply?
Everyone applying to adopt will need to go through an adoption agency. Some agencies
are voluntary organisations, but most are part of the local authority children's services (in England and Wales) or social
work (in Scotland) department. You can find your local authority or voluntary adoption agency's contact details in your phone
book. People are not limited to their own immediate locality but most agencies work roughly within a 50 mile radius of their
office. Although it is only possible to follow through an application with one agency, several can be contacted at this early
stage.
What does it involve?
The process of adoption starts with interviews, checks, it is a case of the
social workers from an adoption agency getting to know prospective adopters, this usually takes a few months. During
this period confidential enquiries will be made of the local social services or social work department and the police.
Applicants will be examined by their GP and will be asked to provide personal references from at least two friends.
Once the report is compiled the agency's independent adoption panel will consider
the application and recommend whether or not applicants should be approved as adopters who will be given the opportunity to
meet the panel.
What if you don't get approved to adopt?
In England and Wales, if an agency is planning not to approve the prospective adopters,
the applicants can make representations to the agency asking them to review their case. In England, as an alternative, applicants
can request that an independent body undertake this review and make a recommendation to the agency. A similar independent
review mechanism is being planned for Wales. In Scotland prospective adopters can also ask for a review - and a number of
the agencies have established procedures for doing this.
If I get through the process how am I matched with a child?
After prospective adopters are approved, their agency will try and match them with
a child. The proposed matches will be presented to an adoption panel who will recommend whether to proceed with the placement.
