Children and Young People's
Services
Children’s Placements Service
Adoption Service
What is adoption?
Adoption is for children who are unable
to live with their birth parents and will not
be able to return to them in the future.
It is a legal process, which enables a
child or young person to have the legal
status of a birth child in relation to their
adoptive family.
The adoptive family takes full responsibility
for the child once an adoption order
is made in court and the child then
takes the adopters’ family name.
The new family undertakes the full care of
the child into early adulthood and beyond
and provides children with that all-important sense of belonging and security.
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Which children
need adoption?
They are children of all ages who have
often had a difficult start in life and could
benefit from the love and security adoption can provide. They are
children from various ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds
and we are seeking adopters who can
reflect this diversity. Some of these children
may need additional support from
professionals as they grow and develop.
We need parents for toddlers, school-age
children, brothers and sisters who need
to stay together and disabled children.
There are fewer young babies nowdays
needing adoption.
The children may have a mistrust of adults
due to their previous experiences.
They may have been exposed to physical,
sexual or emotional abuse. Many of the
children will have suffered neglect.
These experiences may lead to low self
esteem and behavioural difficulties which you
will have to help them work through.
We give you full information about the child’s
background and situation.
All children deserve a better chance and
the kind of family life so many of us take
for granted.
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Who can adopt?
With our strong commitment to diversity,
adopters are continually needed from all
walks of life. We therefore welcome
applications from people with and without
children, people who are married, living together or single and people
from all backgrounds, lifestyles and cultures.
Legally, you need to be aged 21 years or
above and normally be domiciled in the UK.
There is no upper age limit but you need to
have the ability and energy to parent a child
through to adulthood.
You cannot become an adopter if you have
criminal convictions against children and all
adopters need to satisfy the statutory checks required by law.
You can be in employment, unemployed or
retired, own or rent your own home.
However, you will need to have sufficient
space in your home for a child as they
grow up.
We will be happy to answer any questions
or concerns you may have regarding health
issues, smoking, fertility, finances and
criminal offences, or anything you need
to know about adoption.
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What is adoption like?
Raising a child who has experienced a difficult
start in life can be hard work, full of challenges
and sometimes disappointing, but there will
also be great rewards and satisfaction.
You will be given help and guidance from your
adoption social worker to settle the child into
your home and overcome their past experiences.
You will also be offered any assistance you
may need for the child from professionals in
education and health.
While underlying problems may resurface at
times, most children make good progress in
their adoptive families.
All adopted children need to have information
about their birth families and many will have
ongoing contact (often through an annual
exchange of letters) with their birth family.
Some children will have face to face
contact with people from the past, often
grandparents or with brothers and sisters
who have been placed with other families.
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What support
is available?
You will receive support from a social worker
throughout the approval process until an
Adoption Order is made and beyond.
We recognise that adoption is a life long
process and you and your child may need
advice, guidance or support in years to come.
We can offer support and also put you in
touch with other organisations dealing with post-adoption issues.
We offer a Letter Box Service where exchange of
letters has been agreed and also help in reviewing
and organising other contact arrangements.
We also offer counselling to adult adoptees
who wish to trace their families.
An adoption allowance is payable for some
children until they reach 18 years of age
and sometimes a settling-in grant is paid.
Child benefit, Working Tax Credit and Child
Tax Credit are available
to adoptive families.
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We want to
hear from you
We are interested in you as
prospective adopters for Bexley
and you will be welcomed
without prejudice, whatever your
background.
You will be treated fairly, openly
and with respect throughout the
adoption process and we will
respond to you promptly and
give you clear information about
recruitment, assessment and
approval. |
