Who can adopt?

Who can adopt?
Some people are reluctant to enquire
into adoption as they think they won’t be
considered. It is important to know that more
people can apply to adopt than you think.
Please don’t rule yourself out until you have
spoken to us.
Did you know that it doesn’t matter if you:
• Are single, married or cohabiting
• Are in a same sex relationship
• Are of any ethnicity, religion or culture
• Are employed or unemployed
• Rent or own your home
• Already have children or not?
What is important is that you:
• Have a spare bedroom and space in the rest
of your home
• Have the time to dedicate to caring for children
• Can offer a secure and stable home
• Are patient, tolerant and resilient
• Are 21 years old or above.
The following may impact upon your
application:
• If you or your children have had any significant social
services involvement
• If you have a criminal record for crimes against
children or ay other major offences.
Please note that if you are undergoing or have
recently undergone any fertility treatment, you
will need to wait at least six months before
applying to adopt. For more information,
contact the adoption team on 0800 358 0899.
For more information on Adoption:
0800 358 0899
www.sandwell.gov.uk/adoption
adopt_foster@sandwell.gov.uk
What is
adoption?
Adoption is a life long commitment. It is
a way of providing a permanent new family
for children who are unable to live with their
own parents.
Adoption is a legal process which transfers all the rights
and responsibilities of the parents over to an adoptive family.
In other words, the adopted children would become legally
yours in every way that a birth child would be.
Why children need
to be adopted
There are many different reasons why children need
to be adopted. Their parents may have been unable
to care for them due to illness or relationship problems.
Some children may have been neglected or physically,
emotionally, or sexually abused. These past experiences are
likely to have an impact on their behaviour and development.
Adoption offers these children a chance of a caring and
stable family life where they will be accepted, loved and
brought up through their childhood and beyond.
Due to a shortage in adoptive
families, we will give priority and
fast-track prospective adopters that
will consider adopting babies and
young children under the age of 3.
The Adoption Process
It takes approximately eight or nine months
to become an approved adopter.
1
Enquiry
You can call the adoption
team on 0800 358 0899 or complete
our online enquiry form. Somebody within
the team will respond on the same day
or within 24 hours. We will ask you a few questions
and send you an information pack.
2
Home visit We will then arrange a
home visit within 2–3 weeks of your initial
enquiry so that we can speak to you and
your family. This is an opportunity for us
to give you more information about adoption and also
to find out more about you and your family. From this visit
we can together decide whether adoption is right for
you. If there are any concerns and limitations we will
let you know at this stage.
3
Checks and references
You will
be asked to complete a CRB (Criminal
Records Bureau) and consent form
which will enable us to complete certain
necessary checks such as a medical with your own GP.
You will also be asked to provide details of personal
referees and employment details.
If you would like more information about
adoption, call us on 0800 358 3899.
Alternatively, you can visit our website
at www.sandwell.gov.uk/adoptandfoster
or email us at adopt_foster@sandwell.gov.uk
4
Training
To help you understand the
issues surrounding adoption, you will need
to attend preparation training. The training
lasts for five days and we will give you plenty
of notice if you need to book time off work. The training
aims to help you understand everything that is involved in
adopting a child. It covers topics such as; the adoption
process, the experiences children will have been through,
and the impact of child abuse and neglect on child
development. The training helps you to develop the skills
you already have (which you may not know are even there).
5
Assessment You will then have a
social worker allocated to you who will
assess your ability to care and provide a
positive and nurturing home for children.
This assessment takes approximately six months. During
this time you will be asked to provide detailed information
about many aspects of your life.
6
The Panel
The next stage is to present
your assessment report to the Sandwell
adoption panel. You will be invited to
attend the panel with your social worker.
Based on the information put before them, the panel
will be able to make an informed decision on whether to
recommend you as an approved adopter.
7
Matching you with the children
The final stage is the process of finding
the child/ren who will join your family.
You will be allocated a supervising social
worker who will work with you to conduct the search.
When a match has been made, the decision is approved
by the panel and the child/ren will come to live with you
in your family home. After 10 weeks you will be able
to apply for an adoption order and once granted the
child/ren will be legally part of your family.