What is adoption?
Many children, some with physical, emotional or learning disabilities, are in need of caring parents. Adoption is for those children who are unable to live with their birth parents and will not be able to return to them.
Adoption is a legal process. It enables the child to have the legal status of a birth child within their adoptive family.
Adoption offers the opportunity for a child to be part of a loving and secure family for the rest of their lives.
Who are the children?
Adoptive families are needed for children of all ages and especially for:
- Children who are black or of mixed parentage.
- Children over four years old.
- Children with physical and learning difficulties.
- Groups of brothers and sisters, who need a home together.
We welcome enquiries from people who are:
- Married, single, divorced, living with a partner or widowed - most important is that you can offer a safe, stable and nurturing home, that you like children and want to be parents. We welcome enquiries from gay and lesbian applicants.
- Of any nationality, religion, cultural and linguistic background.
- Living in council, private rented accomodation or home owning - you will need enough space to care for a child as they grow.
- Childless or with children of your own.
- Employed or in receipt of benefits or other income.
- Over the age of 21, and of an age that means you can care for a child throughout their childhood and offer continuing support into adulthood.
How will we help you?
The adoption process is careful and thorough. It includes full Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), health and child protection checks. If there is an issue we will discuss this with you to see if it raises concerns about your suitability to be an adoptive parent.
There will be a full assessment and preparation process and qualified staff in each agency will be there to help you and answer all your queries.
We will work with you to help:
- With the decision about becoming an adoptive parent.
- With the training to prepare for adoptive parenthood.
- Identify the right child/children for you.
- You to learn about and understand your child during the introductory period.
- As you settle down and learn to live together as a family.
- At any time after the placement and the formal adoption, when you may need advice or assistance.
After you are approved as an adoptive parent? The time needed to find a placement to match child and adoptive parent varies, but we aim to make the wait as short as possible, always in the best interests of the child. We will offer continuing training and support.
If you are interested in offering a child a home, we would like to talk to you. For more information and answers to your questions about adoption, please contact one of the Consortium members on the Members page.