Skip over main navigation
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • England
  • Northern Ireland
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Helpline
Adoption UK Charity
    • Youtube
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
Join Donate Forum
Menu
  • About us
    • About Adoption UK
      • Who are we?
      • Where we work
        • England
        • Northern Ireland
        • Scotland
        • Wales
      • Staff profiles
        • Staff
        • Trustees
        • Patrons and ambassadors
    • Adoption UK - 50th Anniversary
    • Jobs
    • Volunteering
    • Key documents
    • Shop
    • Contact us
  • About adoption
    • About modern adoption
    • Who can adopt?
    • The process
    • Beginning your journey
    • You Can Adopt
    • Adoptive Families
      • LGBTQ+ Families Hub
  • Our services
    • For members
      • Family membership area
      • Agency membership area
      • Education membership area
    • For agencies
    • For schools
    • Training
    • Adopter Voice
    • TESSA
    • FASD Hub
      • FASD Awareness Day
      • FASD Hub Scotland
  • Membership
    • Family membership
    • Agency membership
    • Education membership
  • Fundraise
    • Fundraise for us
    • Other ways to support us
    • The Big Give
    • Events
    • Our partners
      • Our partnership with PMC
  • Get support
    • Covid-19 – advice for adoptive families
    • Adoption Support
      • Helpline
      • Support
      • Education resources
    • Understanding Adoption
      • Publications and research
      • Managing contact with birth family
      • Resources
      • Useful links
    • Adoption FAQs
    • Adoption Support Fund
  • Campaigning
    • Campaigns
    • Adoption Barometer
    • APPG for Adoption and Permanence
    • Consultations
    • Our campaigning record
    • Research
  • News and blogs
    • Latest news
    • Latest blogs
    • Adoption Today
  • Admin
    • Log in
    • England
    • Northern Ireland
    • Scotland
    • Wales
    • Helpline
  • Basket: (0 items)
  1. Coronavirus: Adoption UK FAQ
  2. Adoption FAQ

Adoption FAQ

Are there central government rules and guidance that adoption agencies are required to follow at this time, in terms of adoption processes?

Expand

Not at this time.  

In England, the Department for Education (who are responsible for policy relating to adoption) are currently being very light touch. Agencies are expected to deal with each child on a case by case basis and are responsible for adapting their own processes. 

Some agencies have suspended all adoption processes that haven’t already started. Others are proceeding with the adoption of newborn babies and children where introductions have already been made. Some are proceeding with all adoptions as normal, just moving all processes up until introductions online.  

At the moment, the best advice we can give is to ask your own adoption agency what changes they are making, and what the implications are for you specifically.  

Published: 1st April, 2020

Author: Online Team

Related topics:
  • Adoption FAQ
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

What advice can we give to families whose children are not respecting the lockdown rules?

Expand

Anecdotally there is an increase in families calling social services because they are overwhelmed by trying to keep their children safe and in turn keeping others safe.  Teenage children and young people are becoming active ‘risk vectors’ between home and those they meet up with outside home. There is also some evidence of an increase in Child-to-Parent violence (CPV), and of families turning to more draconian parenting methods, thereby turning up the heat at home.  

Police have started to fine young people found breaking lockdown rules.  

It’s important to remind yourself that you can’t force young people to comply with the rules you would like them to follow. You can only do your best. You can increase the chances of them complying by the way you communicate with them, by modelling the behaviour you would like to see in them, and by providing non-verbal reminders. For example, try leaving hand sanitiser by the front door and in your young person’s room so that they can use it when they return home. 

Piling on the nurture can also help, to address the need behind their rejecting behaviour and give a sense of value & belonging. Deliberately give comfort food, run them a bath, take every opportunity to praise them. Make sure that you give yourself the same nurture in return.  

If you are at risk of, or already experiencing violence and aggression from your child, and are concerned that attempts to make them stay at home will escalate the situation, prioritise keeping yourself and the rest of your household as safe as possible. If your young person leaves the house, they may be approached by members of the Police force, which might help them to understand the importance of staying at home. As far as possible, try to ensure that home feels a calm and safe place to be, and encourage your young person to engage with their friends using technology as safely as possible. 

Published: 1st April, 2020

Author: Online Team

Related topics:
  • Adoption FAQ
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

What is happening with contact between adopted children and birth relatives?

Expand

There is currently no central guidance about this. In general, adoption agencies are advising against any direct contact. Postal contact is ongoing, though it is not likely to happen in the previous timescales due to difficulties with handling post, buildings being shut and other lockdown restrictions. 

One Regional Adoption Agency, ACE, is using this guidance:  

We would encourage adopters to get in touch with their RAA to let birth parents know that the children are well, they are being looked after and that the advice regarding social distancing is being followed. Birth parents are encouraged to do the same.  

Published: 1st April, 2020

Author: Online Team

Related topics:
  • Adoption FAQ
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

What support is there for new adoptive families?

Expand

As with adoption assessment, each agency is making their own arrangements. Most will now do all their post-adoption support online and by phone. Some adopters who have recently had a child placed with them are having their statutory visits carried out via online platforms such as zoom. Talk to your own adoption agency how they can support you in the months to come.  

Published: 1st April, 2020

Author: Online Team

Related topics:
  • Adoption FAQ
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Back to top

Showing 10 of 4

Latest

  • Surviving Online Learning - a One Stop Resource Shop

    Surviving Online Learning - a One Stop Resource Shop

    Bamboozled by online learning? Need some structure to your day? Here are 8 websites (and a video) that could help you to survive online learning during Lockdown.

  • Leading adoption charity welcomes ‘radical’ government review of Care system

    Leading adoption charity welcomes ‘radical’ government review of Care system

    Adoption UK welcomes the launch of the Government's Care Review.

  • 50th Anniversary

    50th Anniversary

  • Adoption UK is 50

    Adoption UK is 50

    Our CEO's blog on our rebrand & 50th Anniversary

Most read

  • Forum

    Replace this with your content

  • The myth of ‘catching up’ after Covid-19

    The myth of ‘catching up’ after Covid-19

    When I was in secondary school, my parents requested permission to remove me from school during term time for a week to go on a holiday of a lifetime. The school reluctantly agreed, on the condition that I would work hard to ‘catch up’ the work that I missed.

  • Join us

    Join us

    Join the thousands of prospective adopters, adoptive families and professionals that make up Adoption UK’s supportive community.

  • Support

    Support

    Make connections: through our Helpline, Online Forums and Support Groups

  • Family membership

    Family membership

    Join our community - offering support, advice, friendship & resources to families throughout the UK.

  • Contact Us

    Contact Us

    Contact information for Adoption UK.

  • Research

    Research

    We are committed to conducting, supporting, and disseminating research.

  • Helpline

    Helpline

    Our helpline advisers offer practical suggestions, information and encouragement, or can point you in the right direction for specialist help.

  • Jobs

    Jobs

    Adoption UK is looking for some talented new people to join our growing team.

  • Making membership more rewarding:

    Making membership more rewarding:

    This Half Term, keep the kids busy with discounts on days out, cinema tickets and more….

Tag cloud

Board chair of trustees

Ways to get involved

JoinYou'll become part of a network of more than 10,000 adoptive parents, prospective adopters and foster carers.
Donate On behalf of the families we support, thank you for your generosity.
Newsletter Sign up to our monthly newsletter.
Feedback Let us know what you think or how we can help.

Adoption UK, Units 11 and 12, Vantage Business Park, Bloxham Road, Banbury, OX16 9UX

About us Media Jobs Contact us  

Ofsted Registered

Registered charity number 1160647 (England and Wales). Registered Charity No. SC037892 (Scotland).


© 2019 
Adoption UK

  • Full sitemap
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Cookies