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How can I adopt a child?

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Cambridge Jones

Looking to adopt? Here's your need-to-know guide

Who can apply for adoption?
There is no upper age limit for adoptive parents, and people from all ethnic origins and religions can adopt. According to the British Association for Adoption and Fostering, children adapt best when they are placed in an environment that is as close to their ethnic and racial identity as possible.

Since The Adoption and Children Act of December 2005, unmarried couples in England and Wales can apply to adopt a child together.

Single people or one partner in a couple (either heterosexual, gay or lesbian) can also apply for adoption.

What do you have to do?
The first step for prospective adoptive parents is to get in contact with an adoption agency. You can either contact a voluntary organization, such as Barnardo’s (www.barnardos.org.uk) or NCH (www.nch.org.uk), or an agency that is part of the local authority children's services department.

To find an agency near you, go to www.baaf.org.uk, or you can look for contact details in your phone book. At this early stage, you can contact as many agencies as you want before picking which one you would like to apply through.

Once you have chosen which agency you want to go with, they then have to conduct an assessment of you as a prospective adoptive family. It takes at least six months for the adoption agency to form an impression of what life would be like for a child adopted by your family. During this time, the adoption agency will get to know you and your family, visit your home, organize a health assessment with your GP, and help to prepare you for the future.

The agency will then bring together an independent adoption panel who will consider whether you should be approved as adopters, based on the information gathered over the previous months.

After prospective adoptive parents have been approved, the agency will find a child to match your profile. It can take from a couple of weeks to a year to find a match. Once found, the proposed match will be presented to the adoption panel who will recommend whether to proceed with the placement. The whole process, from the initial home study to the final adoption order, will take at least a year, with the average length of time being two years.

For more information go to www.baaf.org.uk, or www.barnardos.org.uk, or buy: Adopting a Child, By Prue Chennells, Chris Hammond and Jennifer Lord (British Association for Adoption and Fostering, £8.50).

Words by Marie Claire, Thursday 1 May 2008

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