The Adoption Process UK
throughout the UK
How Do I Adopt? The Adoption Process UK Explained
If you’re considering adopting a child, you may be questioning the adoption process in the UK. For you as an adopter, the process has five stages:
- Information
- Stage 1 assessment
- Stage 2 assessment
- Matching
- Children moving in
From understanding the process of adoption to grappling with legal requirements and emotional considerations, there are numerous factors that can trigger doubts and inquiries for prospective adopters. While these questions can be overwhelming, they are essential for prospective parents to gain clarity, make informed decisions, and ensure that they are fully prepared. Jigsaw Adoption will help guide and support you through the entire adoption process UK.
Preparation: Helping You Make the Right Decision
Preparation: Helping You Make The Right Decision
At this stage, you are gathering information to help you decide whether to adopt or not. As you are reading this, you have probably already started the adoption process UK.
We help you find the information you need to get a good understanding of adoption. This includes our material as well as other material on adoption available online.
When you are ready, we will have a discussion either in person or over a video meeting. Our meetings are private, rather than a group setting so you have dedicated time with our friendly team to go through things.
Stage 1: Information Gathering and Training
Stage 1: Information Gathering and Training
If, after the information stage, we all agree that there is merit in us working together, you will enter stage 1 of the adoption process. We ask you to sign an agreement where we agree to work together for you to be assessed for adoption.
A number of checks are undertaken to rule out any reason why you may not be suitable for adoption. These include checking whether you have certain criminal convictions and a medical check with your doctor.
As part of this stage, you will begin your adoption application, providing us with background information on yourself and your life to date.
We ask you to provide us with three personal references for each adopter. If you are adopting with your partner, this will mean you need six references.
We provide you with detailed adoption assessment training that is usually hosted at a hotel outside of London. You will also have access to online adoption courses.
We will recommend learning through other means such as podcasts, books, and video.
In addition, we will support you to locate appropriate volunteering opportunities with children. This is necessary and will help demonstrate your ability to form positive relationships with children who do not know you already.
Stage 2: The Assessment
Stage 2: The Assessment
If you are still committed to the adoption process in the UK and if we feel that adoption is right for you, you will progress to Stage 2.
The main focus of Stage 2 is to complete a report about you and your motivation to become parents through adoption.
Ann adoption social worker will meet you a number of times to do an in-depth assessment. Some meetings will be in your home, and some can be done over video meetings. If you are adopting with your partner, you can expect some individual and joint meetings.
Your adoption social worker will also speak with your references and gather information about your ability to care for a child. They will also discuss your expectations around birth parents and your understanding of the child’s background.
After the completion of the assessment, your case will be presented to an adoption panel. The panel is made up of individuals who will make recommendations to the Agency Decision Maker, who will make the final decision whether to give you approval to adopt. While this may seem daunting, Jigsaw Adoption will be there to support you through each step of the adoption process UK.
On average, Stage 2 takes months to complete, but this can vary based on individual circumstances.
Matching: Finding The Children
Matching: Finding The Children
This is the stage when we search for the right children waiting for their forever family.
Our adoption agency is an independent, non-profit organisation. We are not tied to any council team. We can undertake family finding right across England and Wales from the beginning of this stage to ensure the perfect family match.
We discuss the children with the social workers responsible for them in local government teams.
Once there is agreement from the children’s social work teams and you about you being suitable parents for the children, this match is formalised through a matching panel in the area where the children are based.
If this match is approved, there will be meetings with the children’s social workers and foster carers to plan introductions with the children. This is an emotional time during which you take on daily care for the children, taking on responsibilities from the foster carers.
There is no upper age limit for adoption in the UK. As long as you are in good health, you can apply to adopt. Adoption agencies consider factors like age to ensure placements are in the best interests of the children.
Children Moving In
Children Moving In
At the end of the introductions’ period, the child moves into your home. You take on responsibility for day-to-day care of the children in your home.
After a period of 10 weeks, you can legally apply to the family courts for an adoption order for the children.
When the courts grant the adoption order, the children are legally your sons or daughters, as if they were born into your family. You will be issued with new birth certificates for the children, and your adoption process UK is complete. At this point, you are now recognised as the legal parent of your adopted child.
Jigsaw Adoption Agency is the UK’s leading private adoption agency. As members of our team are adoptive mothers, we have knowledge of the adoption process from both sides, allowing us to provide a compassionate, understanding approach for all prospective adopters. We understand that reaching out can be daunting, which is why our team will aim to get back to you as soon as possible. Take your first step to adoption today by filling out our preliminary interest form.
Let's talk
Get In Touch
We would love to hear from you.
A number of our core team are adoptive mothers and we understand how emotional this can feel.
Reaching out to us for the first time can feel like a huge leap of faith and we recognise that. We’ll do our best to come back to you as soon as possible.
Please complete the interest form here and one of our team will write back to you.
Adoption
Adoption is a legal process through which children become the legal members of a new family.
Choose us
We have the flexibility to work with local governments teams across the whole of England and Wales.
Support
Adoption support is a key part of our work with you and your family.
