1. What is adoption? Expand Adoption is the legal process by which a child or siblings who cannot be brought up within their birth family become full, permanent and legal members of their new family. Adopters become the child's legal parents with the same rights and responsibilities as if the child was born to them. Most adopted children have lived in foster care for part of their childhood. Most foster placements are with foster families rather than in foster homes. Time spent in foster care can range from days to several years, and many children have more than one foster placement before being placed for adoption. Children who are adopted tend to have better outcomes than children who remain in foster care or spend their childhoods in and out of care.
2. What is the history of adoption? Expand Although adoption and fostering have taken place informally for centuries, it was only in 1926, after the passing of the Legitimacy Act, that adoption became legally recognised in England and Wales. Adoptions became legally recognised in Northern Ireland in 1929 under the Adoption of Children (NI) Act, and in Scotland in 1930 under the Adoption of Children (Scotland) Act. Initially, adoptions were seen as a way of providing security for war orphans and children born to unmarried mothers. The 1960s and 1970s saw major changes in adoption and fostering and family planning. While the number of babies available for adoption fell rapidly because of improved birth control and changing public attitudes, adoption practice changed its focus to finding families for children with ‘special needs’, such as those in local authority care who had been neglected or had physical or learning disabilities. Today, children are removed from their birth families only when it is judged unsafe for them to continue living there. The average age for a child to be placed for adoption in the UK is 3.5 years. This is because huge efforts are made to keep families together, including seeking members of the wider family who could take the child. Adoption remains a last resort for children who cannot live with any member of their birth family.
3. Why do people adopt? Expand Around half of adopters come to adoption because they were unable to have birth children. However this figure has been decreasing steadily in recent years, and the number of people coming to adoption as a first choice for starting a family is increasing. Other factors include religious and cultural beliefs, people in same sex partnerships who want to become parents, and concerns about population growth and planetary boundaries.
4. How many adoptive families are there in the UK? Expand At least 55,000. Official figures do not exist – this is an AUK best guess, based on extrapolation from the average annual number of adoptions. Currently around 3,500 children are adopted in the UK each year.
5. Who can adopt? Expand There are very few things that automatically bar a person from becoming an adopter. To adopt, you must be: Over 21 legally resident in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, and have been so for at least 12 months. No criminal conviction or caution for offences against children or for serious sexual offences. This applies to everyone in the household. There are many other factors that will come into consideration, but none of them automatically exclude you. The most important thing is that you are resilient and able to put your adopted child’s needs first.
6. What's the process of adoption? Expand The adoption process varies in different parts of the UK, but the basics are the same: initial checks; training and assessment; matching; moving in. As a rough guide, you can expect it to take at least 6 months to reach the matching stage. It’s good to start your journey by reading and talking to people with experience of adoption. Browse the Adoption UK website and our Forum for lots of helpful information and advice for people living all over the UK: Adoption UK Forums
7. How much does it cost to adopt? Expand It doesn’t cost anything to adopt a child in the UK. Adoption from overseas can be costly. To find out more about inter-country adoption visit: Intercountry Adoption Centre
8. Will I get any financial support? Expand Adopters do not receive regular financial support. In England, adopters can apply to The Adoption Support Fund (ASF) to pay for therapeutic support for their children, and your child will be eligible for Pupil Premium at school.
9. Do I have to adopt a child of the same ethnicity as me? Expand No. Most adoption agencies would prefer some ethnic connection between adopter and child, but children from black and minority ethnic backgrounds wait longer to be placed for adoption because of a shortage of prospective adopters from black and ethnic minority communities. Any adopter can theoretically adopt a child of any ethnicity, provided they can demonstrate understanding of the importance of supporting the child’s ethnic identity throughout their life. No child should be waiting a long time for adoption because of the colour of their skin or their religion.
How many adoptions break down? Expand There is no UK-wide data, but most sources put the figure at between 3% and 9%. That’s still hundreds of families, and obviously each one is agonising for everyone involved. The terms adoption ‘break down’ and adoption ‘disruption’ are disliked by families whose children are no longer living with them, because they often continue to parent their children at a distance, with regular ongoing contact between them.
Should I consider adopting from overseas? Expand There are children desperately in need of a permanent loving family both in the UK and overseas. Domestic and inter-country adoptions are equally important and equally deserving of good support. Adoption UK will always encourage people to look at domestic adoption first, partly because of the numbers of children in the UK who are waiting, but also because the inter-country adoption process is costly for families and the process can be even more stressful than domestic adoption. But some prospective adopters have a clear idea about which country they wish to adopt from. They may have family connections, or are originally from that country, or they might be adopting a child who is related to them. To find out more about inter-country adoption, visit: intercountryadoptioncentre.co.uk
What support would my family get after adoption? Expand The adoption agency that places your child with you is responsible for your support, at least initially. This responsibility might move if you move area, or if you adopt from a different area to the one where you live. Your child is entitled to an ‘assessment of need’ before they are placed with you. The assessment should identify areas where you and your child are likely to need support. This could include specialist therapy, help to understand their life journey, support in school and medical support. Your adoption agency should help you access the support your child needs. This does not always happen, and adopters often report struggling for support. Adoption UK continues to campaign for improved support, and to work closely with adoption agencies to understand and provide what families need. In England, adopters and their agency can apply to the Adoption Support Fund to pay for therapeutic support: Adoption support fund (ASF) Most families say that peer support, from people with experience of adoption, can be incredibly important. Adoption UK has a free online forum, a lot of free resources and information, and a growing membership community with groups all over the UK. Find out more here: Adoption UK | Support for adopters