Commonly Asked Questions About Adoption
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Why do some children need to be adopted?
Are there many children available for adoption? Are there many babies available for adoption? What would I tell my adopted child about their history? Do adopted children need to keep in contact with their birth families?
How long does it take to complete the application process to adopt a child? What support will I receive through the assessment and matching process? What is the application process for adopting a child?
What support is available to me / us after the child is legally adopted? Who can apply to adopt a child? Can I adopt my step-child?I live outside of Blackpool, would the Blackpool Team be able to pick up my assessment? Is there an age limit for adoption? I have had fertility issues. Will I be able to adopt?
I have a police record. Will I be able to adopt? Do you need to own your own home? I am gay. Will I be able to adopt? My partner and I are not married. Can we adopt together?
Will previous marriages or relationships affect the adoption process?
I have an older child, can I still adopt? Will an age difference of children already in the family affect my eligibility to adopt?I smoke. Will I be able to adopt?
I have a health problem. Will I be able to adopt? Will I get financial help?Do adoptive parents get the same entitlement to benefits / leave rights etc as birth parents?
Would I be entitled to paid adoption leave?
How can I take the next step to adopt a child? Why do some children need to be adopted?
Very occasionally children are relinquished or given up for adoption by their birth parents, so we are asked to find an adoptive family for them.
The vast majority of children can no longer live with their birth parents or extended birth family and this may be for a number of reasons, such as neglect, different types of abuse or family breakdown.
The decision to remove a child from the care of their birth family is not taken lightly and this is often why children are older when we are looking for adoptive families for them.
Most children being placed for adoption are cared for by foster carers prior to being placed for adoption, so their adoptive family is likely to be at least the third family the child will have lived in. These moves may lead to the child feeling unsettled and it may have an impact on their development.
Are there many children available for adoption?
There are hundreds of children across the country who are waiting to be adopted at any time. In the 12 months to 31st March 2009, 3,300 children were adopted across England and Wales.
Are there many babies available for adoption? There are very few healthy white babies. However, we urgently need families to care for older children, children with a disability or who are able to adopt brothers and sisters who need to stay together. The majority of children are aged between 18 months and 8 years when placed for adoption.
What would I tell my adopted child about their history? Adopted children have the right to know about their origins and past history. Honesty and openness are known to assist with a child's sense of identity. Answer any questions honestly, but in a simple and straightforward manner and appropriate to the age of the child.
Your adopted child should also have a 'life-story book' with photographs and text outlining their early life. This should be made available for the child.
Do adopted children need to keep in contact with their birth families? Most children who are adopted do need to maintain some form of contact with their birth families, although the type and amount of contact can vary considerably. This may be by letters, that are exchanged via the adoption agency or there may be regular face-to-face meetings, which would be most common for brothers and sisters who need to maintain their relationship.
If you were approved as an adoptive parent by Blackpool Council you would be expected to facilitate some form of contact for your adopted child if required.
The Adoption ProcessHow long does it take to complete the application process to adopt a child? Initially you need to be approved as a prospective adoptive parent, the timescales for this process are as follows: Written information sent in response to an enquiry within 5 working days Visit by a Social Worker or an invitation to an information meeting within 2 months. Attend preparation groups / make formal application to adopt. Home Study assessment approximately 6 months. Presentation to Adoption Panel. Hence, on average it takes approximately 10/12 months from your initial enquiry to being approved as a prospective adoptive parent.
This may take longer as occasionally we need to prioritise applications, in order to meet the needs of the children waiting for adoption.
Once approved you will then need to wait to be matched with a child. This may happen very quickly or you may wait a number of months and there is no guarantee that you will be matched at all. It is dependant upon the children waiting and what you have to offer to an adopted child.
What support will I receive through the assessment and matching process?
Throughout this time you will have the support of a qualified Adoption Social Worker who will be available to help you through this process.
You will also be visited regularly by your Social Worker and the child's Social Worker after a child is placed up until the Adoption Order being made.
What is the application process for adopting a child?
Here is a step-by-step approach to applying to adopt a child.
- Express an interest
- The home visit
- The information meeting
- Preparation and training
- Police, health checks and other statutory references.
- Medical examination
- Making an application
- The assessment / home study report
- The adoption panel
- Matching you to a child
- Placement of the child
- The adoption order
What support is available to me / us after the child is legally adopted?
In Blackpool our adopters receive, or have access to a social worker dedicated to adoption support issues. We produce biannual newsletters providing information and advice, hold social events and support groups - allowing adopted children and their families to get together on an informal basis, offer assistance with managing any indirect or direct contact arrangements and can arrange training on adoption related issues. We also provide free membership to Adoption UK for 1 year and have access to the services of After Adoption.
Who can apply to adopt a child?
We welcome applications from people from a wide variety of backgrounds. You can be single, married, divorced, living in your own home, rented or Council accommodation. We welcome applications from people from all races and religions. We do not discriminate on the grounds of sexuality.
Can I adopt my step-child? If you are considering adopting your partner's child please contact us for further information, or see the link to the Adoption Information Line Website. It may be possible for you to acquire parental responsibility for the child by other means, such as an agreement with the other birth parent.
Please visit the
Adoption Information Line website for more information regarding adopting a step child.
I live outside of Blackpool, would the Blackpool Team be able to pick up my assessment? We would be happy to consider enquiries from anyone living within approximately 1 hour's drive from our office base. This would cover, for example, other areas of Lancashire, Blackburn, Wigan and Greater Manchester.
Is there an age limit for adoption?
You must be 21 years of age or over. There is no upper age limit. The most important thing is that you are in good health and have the energy to care for a child to adulthood.
Your age would be linked to health, fitness and well being. You will need to consider your age in relation to the age of the child you would be looking to adopt.
I have had fertility issues. Will I be able to adopt?
If you have a fertility problem, we usually expect you to have already sought medical advice, and completed any treatment or investigation processes. As with other traumas or life crises, a period of adjustment is necessary. It is important that you make a positive choice in favour of adoption.
I have a police record. Will I be able to adopt?
It depends on what you were convicted of. The law does not allow anyone to adopt or foster a child if they, or a member of their household, has been convicted or cautioned for offences against a child. Also, other violent offences may make it impossible for you to adopt.
Do you need to own your own home?
No, you do not need to own your own home but you would need to have enough space for a child or children and have at least one spare bedroom within your home.
I am gay. Will I be able to adopt? Yes. Your sexuality will not prevent you from being considered as an adoptive parent.
The Adoption and Children's Act 2002 now allows unmarried couples, including gay couples, to adopt jointly.
My partner and I are not married. Can we adopt together? Yes - The implementation of the Adoption & Children Act 2002 has made this possible. There is no longer a requirement for you to be married in order to jointly adopt a child.
Will previous marriages or relationships affect the adoption process?
If you have been married more than once, this will not exclude you from adopting a child, but during your assessment we will need information about any previous significant relationships you may have had. It is practice to visit previous partners where children were also involved in this relationship.
I have an older child, can I still adopt?
Yes, we welcome applications from experienced parents and if you already have a birth child you are still entitled to adopt.
Will an age difference of children already in the family affect my eligibility to adopt?We normally expect there to be an age gap between any children already in your family and the child you are adopting. Research suggests that this should be around two or three years. There may be exceptions to this, for example, if you adopted siblings. The reason for the age gap is so your existing children won't feel as threatened, or feel they have to compete with a child their own age. It's also to increase attachments between the children.
I smoke. Will I be able to adopt? Applications may be accepted from individuals who smoke. However, this is a factor that will be taken into consideration when placing a young child or a child with respiratory problems.
You will be required to have a full medical examination.
I have a health problem. Will I be able to adopt? We would need to be satisfied that you are able to take on the task of adopting a child. We also have the expectation that adopters will be able to care for a child through childhood and into adulthood. All applicants will be required to have a medical examination (the cost of this will need to be met by the applicants themselves) and we will seek the advice of our agency medical advisor.
Will I get financial help?
You would usually assume full financial responsibility for your adopted child.
However, in certain circumstances you may be eligible for some form of financial help. This would take account of a child's special needs or may be to enable a group of siblings to remain together. Eligibility for financial support is usually via a means test.
Do adoptive parents get the same entitlement to benefits / leave rights etc as birth parents?
Yes
. Adopters are entitled to claim Child Benefit from the date their adopted chid is placed with them. You may also be able to claim Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit.
Would I be entitled to paid adoption leave?
As a new adoptive parent you may also be entitled to Adoption Leave and pay. From the 1st April 2007, you may be entitled to 39 weeks paid leave. Many children placed for adoption come with complicated histories and have considerable needs when they are placed with adoptive parents. We need to be sure that you can meet their needs. During the matching process, children's needs are considered carefully and child care arrangements following a return to work are discussed thoroughly. For older children, we will need to consider how proposed child care alternatives will work, the degree of pressure this may create and also what would happen if the alternatives didn't work.
How can I take the next step to adopt a child?
If you want to know more about adoption you can: