Who are the children?
Every child who needs adoption has been through some form of trauma. Children needing placements will be in foster care. The majority of the children will have been removed though court proceedings from their birth families due to concerns about the care they received. What they all have in common is that they all need a secure and protective environment in addition to care, love, kindness and acceptance. South Gloucestershire Council believes in adoption as a way of providing this.
These days there are very few babies or very young children needing adoption. South Gloucestershire Council particularly needs adopters for the following groups of children and priority will be given to people able to consider these children:
- Older children - the majority of the children needing adoption are aged 3 years to 8 years. They may have spent several years living with their birth family before living with foster carers. We try to match them with families who will encourage their interests and will support any educational, emotional or health needs they may have
- Sibling groups - staying together with their sisters and brothers is very important to children who have had changes in their lives. Adopters are always needed to care for groups of siblings. This may mean you find yourself parenting two, three or even four children!
- Children with disabilities - some children have physical or learning disabilities or a combination of special needs, and a number will also have been affected by their mother's use of alcohol or drugs before birth. Other children may have a life-limiting condition so you will probably work very closely with a range of medical staff and other professionals
- Black and ethnic minority children - every effort is made to place children in families that match, as closely as possible, their racial, religious, cultural and linguistic background. Therefore adopters are needed from all parts of the community - in particular from the black and Asian Communities. We also need adopters from dual-heritage backgrounds
Do children have contact with their birth families after adoption?
The majority of children have some contact with their birth parents and other family members through the exchange of letters and photographs. For some children there may be some face-to-face contact. We generally encourage some form of contact as we have found that this helps children to maintain a link with their birth family throughout their childhood.
How much are adoptive parents told about the child's background?
You will be given as much information as possible about the origins, health, background and experiences of the child and their birth parents.
Adopters need to understand and accept their child's history and their birth family. Your child will need to make sense of their past and why they needed to be adopted. Their story is likely to be painful - we will help you to think about how you will share it with your child and help them with feelings of loss, sadness and anger.
Should children be told they are adopted?
Yes. Most children will be of an age where they already know they are adopted. If not they will always appreciate it that they heard it from you first. It is easier for a child to grow up with the knowledge of their adoption than to make the discovery later on. As they grow older you will need to help them understand the reasons for their adoption. We will help you do this, if you feel you need support.