What is adoption?

Adoption is a way of providing a new family for a child when living with their own family is not possible. It is the means of giving a child an opportunity to start again; for many children, adoption may be their only chance of experiencing family life.

The adoption process
To be eligible for adoption the child must be under the age of 18 years and a child for whom returning home to their parents is not possible. Should the child be married or has been married they cannot be adopted.

An Adoption Order severs all legal ties with the birth family and confers parental rights and responsibilities on the new adoptive family. The birth parents no longer have any legal rights over the child and they are not entitled to claim them back. Your child becomes a full member of your family; they take your surname and assume the same rights and privileges as if they had been born to you, including the right of inheritance.

Bringing up a child is mutually rewarding and great fun, as well as being hard work and a big responsibility. This is especially so when you choose to bring up a child who was not born to you.

Who can adopt?
If you are over 21 years old and you can provide a permanent, stable and caring home, your application will be welcomed. It doesn’t matter whether you are married or single, in or out of work, or whatever your race, religion, or sexuality. There is no upper age limit, and it does not matter if you have a disability. From January 2006 unmarried couples in England and Wales are now able to apply to adopt jointly.

The key question an adoption agency will ask is: can you provide a stable home for a child until adulthood and beyond? All sorts of people can and do make a success of adoption.

The new Adoption and Children Act 2002
The new Act, which came into force on 30 December 2005, brings the law on adoption up to date and puts the needs of the child above everything else. The changes in the law should improve the adoption service and help more people consider adoption.

The Act also introduced a new Special Guardianship order to provide a home for children who cannot return to their birth families but for whom adoption is not the most suitable option.

Parents
Once you have made the decision to adopt a child, the first thing you will need to do is contact your local adoption agency to make an initial inquiry. After this, your adoption agency may ask you to a meeting where you can meet and chat with social workers and adoptive parents.

Initial application for adoption
If you decide to proceed with the application and it is accepted by the adoption agency, you will be assigned a social worker to undertake what is called a home study assessment.

Preparation, assessment and training
The social worker will make a number of visits to your home and will:

• ask you detailed questions about your own family background, your childhood and your present circumstances
• speak with your partner, children and other members in the household (if any)
• interview two personal referees (who you supply)

You will need to have a full medical examination with your own GP, who will give the adoption agency’s medical advisor a report covering your own and your family’s health history. This information allows the agency’s medical advisor to properly assess the health implications of adoption. They can advise the adoption agency if there are any known health reasons why you would be unlikely to care for a child under 18 years of age.

The home study assessment is demanding, it can feel intrusive, and will take several months to complete. Everything is explored in depth with you. Adoption is for life, and the agency must be sure you are right for the role. Just as importantly, you must be certain you can make a success of it.

Once you have seen and agreed the content of the home study report, it will be considered by an adoption panel and then by the agency’s decision maker, who is a senior manager in the Children Services Department.

What is an adoption panel?
An adoption panel is a body of people who are empowered to consider whether:

• a child in the care of a local authority should be made available for adoption
• prospective adopters should be approved to adopt
• particular adopters are suitable for a particular child or children
• The panel’s written recommendation is passed to the agency’s decision maker for a final decision to be made.

How long does it take to adopt?
The assessment and approval process should take about eight months from your initial phone call to the adoption agency. Once approved, the process of matching you to a suitable child within the UK can take from a couple of weeks to over a year. The earliest time a court can make an Adoption Order is 13 weeks after a child has lived with you. On average the adoption process takes two years from the time of the home study assessment to the making of an adoption order but every case is different.

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