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Initial application for adoption

If you decide to proceed with the application and it is accepted by the adoption agency, you will be assigned a social worker to undertake what is called a home study assessment.

Home study assessment

The social worker will make a number of visits to your home and will:

• ask you detailed questions about your own family background, your childhood and your present circumstances
• speak with your partner, children and other members in the household (if any)
• interview two personal referees (who you supply)

You will need to have a full medical examination with your own doctor, who will then give the adoption agency's medical advisor a report. This report will outline your own and your family's health history. This information allows the agency's medical advisor to properly assess the health implications of adoption. They can advise the adoption agency of any known health reasons why you would be unable to care for a child under 18.

The home study assessment is demanding, it can feel intrusive, and will take several months to complete. Everything is explored in depth with you. Adoption is for life, and the agency must be sure you are right for the role. Just as importantly, you must be certain you can make a success of it.

Adoption panel

Once you have seen and agreed with the home study report made by the social worker, it will be considered by an adoption panel. An adoption panel is a body of people who are empowered to consider whether:

• a child in the care of a local authority should be made available for adoption
• potential adopters should be approved to adopt
• particular adopters are suitable for a particular child or children

The report will then be seen by the agency's decision maker, who will be a senior manager in the Children Services Department. The panel's written recommendation is passed to the decision maker for a final decision to be made.

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How long does it take to adopt?

The assessment and approval process should take about eight months from your initial phone call to the adoption agency. Once approved, the process of matching you to a suitable child within the UK can take from a couple of weeks to over a year. 

The earliest time a court can make an Adoption Order is 13 weeks after a child has lived with you. On average the adoption process takes two years from the time of the home study assessment to the making of an adoption order. Each case is different however, and it may take longer.

Support for adoptive families

Adoptive families can ask their local authority to assess their needs for adoption support services, including financial support.

Local authorities will consider this assessment and decide whether to provide support services accordingly, taking into account the family's views. Any services provided will be described in a plan, which will clearly outline how these services will be delivered. This is designed to ensure that everybody is clear about what will be provided, when and by whom.

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Talking to a child about adoption

A child who is placed for adoption will have a lot of questions about what it means and why it is happening. The following leaflets might be helpful when talking to a child or young person about adoption.

• Download Adoption explained for children under 10 (PDF, 586K)
• Download A guide to adoption for children over 10 (PDF, 219K)
• Help with PDF files

Apply to adopt a child

The following link will let you enter your details of where you live and take you to your local authority website where you can find out more.

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