Care and support

The process of adoption

There are several steps you need to go through to become approved as an adopter. The first steps include preparation for you as an adoptive parent and then an assessment by the agency.

This process is a two way partnership. It is a chance for you to think everything through and for the agency to find out a lot more about you. During this period you can expect to:
• Meet adoptive parents and social workers to find out about adoption first-hand
• Have your questions about adoption answered
• Be seen by a social worker in your own home
• Be asked detailed questions about your own background and circumstances

The preparation and assessment process is lengthy, but this is for very good reasons. From the agency point of view, adoption is for life and it is important that we make sure the adoptive parents we approve are the right ones. But adoption is also a major decision for you. The assessment gives you the opportunity to take an honest look at what you want out of adoption and what you can give. You need to be certain at the end of it that you want to make this lifetime commitment.

The preparation also includes a 3 day training course. At this stage you will get to know more about the children waiting for adoption.
Throughout your journey of adoption you will receive information to help you through that stage of the process.

What happens next?

At the end of the assessment period, a report goes forward to an adoption panel - a group of social workers, other professionals and independent people. Based on their recommendation, the adoption agency will then decide whether to approve you as a prospective adoptive parent. Once you are approved, the agency will begin to match you with a suitable child. In some cases an agency may already have children in mind and this process would start earlier.