Adoption - the process
Friday 3 April 2009
What does adoption involve? n2k speaks to 16 year old Sarah who was adopted when she was two and a half years old.
What is adoption?
Adoption is where a child legally becomes a member of a new family and has one or two new parents.
This can mean that a child is placed with a parent or family other than their birth parents.
Children can also be adopted by step parents, a parent’s partner or a relative.
“I was too young to remember but from what I have been told I think it was an easy process. I have a brother and a sister - they are great and always there for me,” says Sarah of her adoptive family.
Before adoption
Children who are looked after by their local authority are usually placed with a foster family. The local authority will have to decide the best permanent option for the child. One option is for them to return home, buf if this isn't possible adoption is one option open to the local authority.
If a child is to be adopted they are usually placed with a foster family until an adoptive family is found for them. Sarah was two and half when she was adopted. “I was adopted with my sister who is only a year younger. I was with quite a few foster families before I was adopted,” she adds.
Who can adopt?
Anyone over 21 years old who can provide a permanent, stable and caring home is eligible to apply to be assessed as a prospective adopter. However there are certain criteria which must be met in order to be eligible to adopt. Find out more about the process.
The legal process
Only the court can make an adoption order and before it does so it must ensure the birth parents have consented to the adoption. It is possible that in some cases the court decides not to make an adoption order.
The adoption order means that the birth parents no longer have any parental rights and responsibilities for their child and those rights and responsibilities are given to the adoptive parents.
The child then becomes a full member of their new family in every way, taking their surname and the same rights and privileges as if they had been born into that family, including the right of inheritance.
In England and Wales, about 5,000 children are adopted every year.
Why adoption?
The reasons why children are given up for adoption are very complex.
The majority of children who are adopted in the UK are removed from their parents because they are suffering from harm. Adoption is sometimes considered as an option in this case but in fact local authorities and social workers will do everything possible to keep children and their parents together, and to give as much support as is needed.
In some cases birth mothers or parents might choose the adoption route as the best option for their child. If a pregnancy is unexpected for example, young parents might be overwhelmed with the prospect of bringing up a child. There could be social circumstances to consider such as being very young or emotionally able to cope with a child.
Later in life
Birth relatives and adults who were adopted before 30th December 2005 can now use an intermediary agency to trace and establish whether contact would be welcome.
An intermediary agency finds the person they are looking for and must get their permission to pass on their name and contact details to the person who is looking for them.
If they don’t want to be contacted, the agency might still be able to pass on information such as general health and well-being, but cannot pass on the person’s name or where they live.
“All I have is a few photos of my birth parents,” explains Sarah. “I never wanted to contact them because of the story behind being adopted.”
More information
Find out more detailed information about tracing and contacting birth relatives and adopted adults on DirectGov.
For help and support visit the After Adoption youth page. After Adoption also runs a national helpline for anyone who has a connection to adoption – call them on 0808 808 1234.
