Adopting and Adoption - With Somerset County Council

Will the child have contact with his or her birth family?

Most children who are adopted have some form of contact with their birth family. This may be face-to-face contact as some children need and wish to continue to see their birth family occasionally, usually no more than twice a year. These arrangements are initially discussed and agreed between yourselves, your social worker and the child’s social worker and birth family. The meeting may be at a family centre or can take the form of an outing together.

Most adopters take part in indirect or ‘letterbox’ contact, which is an exchange of news between the adopters and the birth family. Somerset has an Adoption Contact Co-ordinator who acts as an intermediary for all letterbox correspondence. The Adoption Co-ordinator is always available to offer advice and support with contact. Contact is linked to the importance of openness in adoption and will help you in talking about adoption to your child. All contact arrangements are reviewed annually.

Who are the children?

In Somerset we are committed to children remaining with their birth family wherever possible. Where this is not possible, we seek to provide alternative care and consider that adoption offers the greatest security to children.

All children placed for adoption are in the care of the Local Authority. They are often looked after by foster carers, who prepare them for adoption. All the children will have been separated from their birth family and will have feelings of grief and loss. Many children will also have had traumatic and abusive early experiences.

The majority of children waiting are aged 3-11, some of who are brothers and sisters who need to be placed together. There are very few babies under 3 years available for adoption today. All children may have physical, emotional or developmental disabilities and need a safe and secure permanent family who will give them love and understanding for the rest of their lives. They may have identified health needs or disabilities and all will have issues in forming attachments.

Will the child's parents agree to their child being adopted?

Children can be placed for adoption with the consent of their parents. Their consent must be witnessed by an officer from the Children & Family Court Advisory & Support Service (CAFCASS) to ensure it is properly given and that parents fully understand its implications. When a formal witnessed consent is given, the Adoption Agency (Somerset County Council) is authorised to place the child for adoption. Parents may consent to the placement with specific adopters or any prospective adopters chosen by the Agency. They may also consent to the making of a future Adoption Order.

Where adoption is the care plan for a child being looked after in foster care by the Local

Authority and consent is not forthcoming from each parent or guardian of the child, the Local Authority must apply to the court for a placement order. The placement order gives the Adoption Agency (Somerset County Council) the authority to place the child for adoption.

In both instances the wishes and feelings of the birth parents must be sought about the kind of adoptive family they want their child to have, including how the child’s religious and cultural needs are to be met.

The birth parents are offered independent counselling and support from NCH. Information for the child to have in the future is gathered at an early stage.

Will I meet the child's parents?

The possibility of meeting the adoptive parents is likely to be offered to birth parents more often than not and experience has shown that it is a positive step for yourselves, your child and their birth parents.

What rights do birth parents have after the adoption?

Once an Adoption Order has been made, the birth parents have no legal rights over the child and cannot claim him or her back.

Will I be told about the child's background?

It is very important that you know as much as possible about the child's past. The law says the adoption agency must give you information about the child, which includes details about his or her background, time in care, school history and any medical needs. This information will help you decide if you could realistically parent and adopt a particular child/ren. This knowledge will also help you understand the child when they come to live with you, help the child understand the circumstances of their adoption and help you to find the best way of supporting them in the future.

Am I too old?

All prospective adopters must be over 21 years old. However, as very few babies are placed for adoption, there would need to be a reasonable age gap between the youngest applicant and the child. All adopters need to be mature enough to manage the needs of adopted children.

In Somerset we would not normally expect there to be a difference of more than 45 years between the age of the eldest applicant and the child. For example, an applicant aged 48 would be advised to consider a child aged 3+.

What if I am overweight?

This is not a problem, unless the applicant's weight could reduce life expectancy or prevent them leading an active and healthy lifestyle.

Does an adopted child need his or her own bedroom?

We will consider the size, location and layout of your home and we believe that the adopted child should have his or her own bedroom. You will need to show that the child will have adequate physical space to keep his or her own belongings and do their homework and also that the child will have privacy. Although 2 adopted siblings could share a room if they are of the same gender, it is preferable that they each have their own room and for some children this will be a requirement.

I have lived abroad. Can I adopt a child in the UK?

In order to adopt, applicants need to have been resident in the UK for at least a year, ending with the date of application.

Can I adopt if I have a criminal record?

The safety and welfare of the child are paramount and the background of all adopters and members of your household over 16 is checked once an application to adopt is accepted.

The Adoption Agency Regulations (23.2) stipulates that a person cannot be considered suitable to adopt if they have been:

• Convicted of a specified offence at the age of 18 or over.
• Or has been cautioned by a constable in respect of a specified offence which at the time of caution was admitted.

A specified offence means:

• An offence against a child
• An offence specified in the Adoption Agency Regulations Part 1, Schedule 3 (concerning rape and other matters relating to sexual activity)
• An offence contrary to Section 170 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 (concerning pornography)

If you have any other offences you must declare them all at the very outset and they will be considered as part of the assessment process. Where checks result in relevant previous convictions or cautions coming to light, it may not be possible to proceed with your application. We are only permitted to disclose the specific reasons to the person who has the conviction or caution.

If you have lived abroad for three months or more, you will also need to obtain a Certificate of Good Conduct for each country you have lived in. This is evidence that you have not committed any offences whilst living abroad. You will be responsible for obtaining this and there is a charge for each certificate. You can do this by contacting the Embassy of the country you have lived in and can get further advice on the CRB website, www.crb.gov.uk and type overseas into the search box.

Can I adopt if I am undergoing fertility treatment?

Some prospective adopters have not been able to have their own children and may enquire about adoption whilst still trying to conceive a child through assisted conception. We ask you to let us know if this is the case. Experience shows that you will need time to come to terms with your childlessness before you are ready for adoption, understanding that adoption will be different. Pursuing adoption whilst still trying to conceive a child of your own is not in the interests of children who need adoption, as a child could be born to you just before or after another child is placed for adoption. We therefore will not start your preparation if you are still undergoing treatment. We advise you to wait until your treatment is complete and have taken enough time to adjust to this so that you are ready to consider adoption.

Can I adopt if I have birth children?

If you have a child or children already, either as a single parent or as a couple from a previous relationship, whether or not they live with you, you will need to consider the impact of adoption on them.

Ideally there should be a minimum 2year age gap between your own child and the adopted child. The adopted child will always be the youngest when placed with you as this keeps your child’s place and relationships in the family the same.
 

Do I need experience of looking after children?

Adopted children can present challenging behaviour because of their past experiences and you will need to be confident in managing this. Therefore if you do not already have direct experience of looking after children, you will need to gain some experience of looking after other people’s children before we can take your interest further. This could involve caring for young family members, friends’ children, volunteering in nurseries or playgroups etc. The Central Recruitment Team can give you advice on how to do this.

Can I adopt if I work?

Everyone must consider their work commitments and the possibility that adopted children may need a parent to be available/at home. We expect all applicants to take their full entitlement to adoption leave to enable the child to settle in and also to be flexible about possibly delaying a return to work if your child needs this time with you.

How old must I be to adopt?

All prospective adopters must be over 21 years old. However, as very few babies are placed for adoption, there would need to be a reasonable age gap between the youngest applicant and the child. All adopters need to be mature enough to manage the needs of adopted children.

In Somerset we would not normally expect there to be a difference of more than 45 years between the age of the eldest applicant and the child. For example, an applicant aged 48 would be advised to consider a child aged 3+.

What if I am single?

You can be single, a married or an unmarried couple, a same sex or heterosexual couple to adopt. It is a requirement of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 that where the suitability of a couple is being considered, an assessment is made of the stability and permanence of their relationship. In Somerset we believe that couples should have been in a stable relationship at least two years before considering adoption.

Will I get any financial help?

You will be expected to meet the costs of bringing up an adopted child. There are adoption allowances for some children. The allowance is paid to those people on lower incomes, reviewed each year and increased in line with inflation.

Can I adopt a child from a different ethnic background?

Wherever possible children are placed with adopters who reflect their family of origin. If this was likely to cause a delay, the child could be placed with adopters who were sensitive to the child's needs. The adopters would have to show an ability to challenge racism and discrimination.