The adoption assessment
Once you’ve identified the agency you want to go with and have been accepted by them, the formal adoption assessment begins. This post looks at the assessment process in detail from Stage One which includes background checks to Stage Two which is the home study phase and then Panel and matching. Stage One The first […]
The Adoption Process
The number of children currently in care is at an all-time high of over 80,000. Not all of those children have plans for adoption. But for those who do, the numbers don’t make happy reading. On average, it is now taking over two years for a child to be placed with an adoptive family. The […]
How to choose an adoption agency
Once you feel that you’re ready to move on to adoption, one of the first steps is to find an adoption agency that suits you. Finding an agency that’s the right fit might take time. They all have slightly different criteria so it’s worth speaking to a few before you make a final decision. This […]
Preparing for the adoption process
If you are thinking about adoption as the way you’d like to create your family, there are some things you need to think about before you start the process. This post highlights six things you can spend some time on to make sure you’re prepared and as ready as you can be for the assessment: […]
The adoption process: Is it for me?
People decide to create their family through adoption for a variety of reasons. Some have never tried to have a birth child so adoption is the first way they’ve tried to create their family. Many consider adoption after dealing with the brutal disappointment of infertility. Some want to adopt rather than having birth children. Whatever […]
Older or younger? Adopting a young baby
One of the most important parts of the adoption assessment is deciding the age range of child you’d like to be considered for. Some people have a fixed idea before they start. Others don’t and their thoughts on age evolve with the assessment. The average age children are adopted in the UK is three. However, […]
The adoption process: Statutory reviews
Once your child is home, it isn’t the case that you close the door and never hear from social services again. There are a number of statutory reviews and visits that take place by various professionals to make sure everything is ok and that you have all of the support you need. These visits can […]
Adoption assessment: The Road to Panel
When you’ve decided you’d like to try and make a birth child, you don’t have to go on any courses to check you’re suitable. You don’t have to go into every aspect of your life with a virtual stranger. Or share your income and outgoings with anyone. You do have to do all of that […]
Adoption assessment: Interview with Cat
The Covid-19 pandemic changed our lives in so many different ways. Social distancing meant a lot of things have moved online. Adoption assessments are no different. A lot of meetings and training session had to be done via video call or online. In this interview which was first published in 2020, Cat shares her experience […]
The adoption process: Adopting siblings
If you’re thinking about adoption, this article gives you an overview of the process and what’s involved. It’s written by an adopter of siblings, who takes you through all the stages her family went through to become a family. Our story I’m pretty sure that when most people think of starting a family with their […]