What is adoption?
Adoption is a way of providing new families for children who cannot be brought up by their own parents. It is a legal process, which transfers all the responsibilities held by the child's birth parents to the new adoptive parents. The adopters become the child's legal parents through the granting of an Adoption Order by a Court.
Who can adopt?
All types of people have made a success of adoption. We need people from all walks of life and backgrounds who not only have the commitment, patience, love and energy required, but also have a real understanding of children's needs. You will need to be able to care for children where the reward may not be immediate and some children may need ongoing support into adulthood.
We positively welcome adopters from all parts of the community so that we can find the best match for every child. You can be considered for becoming an adoptive parent if you are:
- Single – male or female
- A family with or without children
- An adult aged at least 21
- Gay, lesbian or straight
- Black, white or any ethnic group
- A person who is disabled
- Employed or unemployed
- A house owner or tenant
What skills and qualities do adopters need?
Adopters need skills and abilities which will help them provide and maintain a good standard of care and build a life long relationship with the child or children they adopt. You will need to be able to:
- Promote a child's sense of self-worth and identity, which will include meeting their cultural, racial and religious needs
- Stick with a child through good and bad times where the rewards may not be immediate
- Promote a child's health and education
- Encourage a child to develop and maintain friendships
- Understand the many different needs of children
- Show flexibility in handling a range of sometimes challenging behaviour without the use of physical or degrading punishment
- Encourage and support contact with a child's parents and family, as appropriate
- Develop your own skills through preparation and training
- Have a sense of humour
- Most importantly you need the time, patience, flexibility and lifelong commitment to give to a child
Is there an age limit?
You must be at least 21 years old to be able to adopt.
You may think that because you are in your 40s and 50s you are too old to adopt. This is simply not true. You will be assessed on what you have to offer the children. We need to recruit adoptive parents who will have the health and vigour to meet the demands of growing children and see them through into adult life. We will consider adoptive parents of any age but your health and the needs of the child would need to considered.
Can you adopt if you have a disability?
South Gloucestershire Council welcomes applications from people with disabilities. The assessment process and medical checks will ensure you can provide adequate care for a child.
Can you adopt if you are not married?
Yes. The Adoption and Children Act of 2002 has enabled unmarried couples to jointly adopt. You may be in a civil partnership or living together in an established relationship.
If you are a couple we will look at the strength of your relationship. It is important for children who are adopted that their new parents can cope with difficulties and disagreements and will support each other as parents. If you are applying as a single person it is important to be sure that you have good support and people with whom you can share difficulties honestly, as well as sharing the good times.