Step one: contact an agency
Most adoption agencies are part of local authority children's services (in England and Wales), social work departments (Scotland) or trusts (Northern Ireland). Other agencies are voluntary societies. The British Association for Adoption & Fostering has an agency database or you can find your local authority's contact details in your phone book or local newspaper. There are two types of fostering services: local authority and independent fostering providers (IFP). IFPs are more likely to consider you if you're interested in a range of fostering, perhaps short-term as well as long-term. The Fostering Network can help you find an agency in your area. Contact a few to see what they're looking for and what they offer foster carers in terms of support. When you call an adoption or fostering agency, you may be able to talk to a social worker or arrange for them to call you at a more convenient time. They should also send you an information pack in the post and may invite you to an information evening.
Step two: the first meeting
Once you've decided you want to go ahead, contact the agency again. They should arrange a meeting, either at your home, or in their office, or they will invite you to an information meeting. This is an opportunity for you to ask more detailed questions and for the agency to find out what you're like and what you're looking for in a child, such as the age range you consider would fit best with your family and lifestyle.
Step three: group sessions
These are an opportunity to learn much more about adoption or fostering. You'll meet other potential applicants and find out about the experiences of children in care. The groups are led by adoption and fostering workers, and you'll also hear from experienced adoptive parents or foster carers who'll share their stories and what they've learned. The sessions are designed to help you think about the likely impact of adoption or fostering, not only on you and the child but also on those close to you.
Step four: individual assessment
This is sometimes referred to as a 'home study' and may run alongside the group sessions. It can take several months to complete. An adoption or fostering worker will visit your home, usually about six to ten times. Together you'll explore what adoption or fostering could mean for you. Their aim is to get to know you and your background, find out how much support you'll receive from family and friends, and what sort of child or children you feel you could best care for. You'll be asked to provide personal references from friends and will have a full medical check-up with your GP. Checks will also be made with the Criminal Records Bureau. This is all necessary to ensure children are placed with families who can keep them safe and care for them. Once the assessment is complete, the adoption or fostering worker will write a report. You may be asked to contribute details of your family routine, hopes and views on various subjects, including discipline and managing challenging behaviour. You'll be able to see the final version, which then goes to the agency's panel for assessment.
Step five: adoption/fostering panel
The panel members, including people with personal experience of adoption and/or fostering, will read your assessment report thoroughly. You'll be invited to attend a panel meeting. This session is an opportunity for members of the panel to ask you and your adoption/fostering worker any queries about your application. The panel will discuss your application in private and reach a recommendation. Adoption recommendations are then sent to the agency's decision maker, a senior manager who has the final say on whether or not your application is approved. This process, from your initial phone call to being approved by the panel, can take about eight months.
Step six: matching you with a child
If you want to adopt, the process of matching you with a suitable child or children can begin. This process can take weeks or months. If you applied through a local authority agency, it will first look at children in its care. You can look at Be My Parent and Children Who Wait. In England and Wales, your details can be submitted to the Adoption Register for England and Wales. Once a possible match is found, there'll be lots of discussion between you, your adoption worker and the child's social worker. You'll receive written reports on the child's background and will be able to talk to people who know the child well, such as former foster carers. Only when you're absolutely sure about your decision will the child be told. It's then presented to the adoption panel with responsibility for the child, and goes through an approval process similar to your home assessment. If you want to foster, the agency will contact you when it has a suitable child or children who need placement. It's your decision whether or not you think you can care for them and offer them what they need. All foster carers are reviewed annually. You should also meet with your supervising social worker on a regular basis to discuss any concerns you have and arrange any further training. The child's social worker will also visit to offer support to the child and to check on their progress, which must be formally reviewed at regular intervals.
Step seven: meeting the child
Before the first meeting, the child will have been told about you and should have seen photos. Introductions, as they're called, usually continue for two to four weeks and are designed to help you and the child get to know one another. At first, the meetings will take place at the foster or children's home where the child is living, but later may be in your home and include overnight stays. If the plan is for the child to have continuing contact with a birth relative, you may get to meet them during this time. Even if the plan doesn't include contact, some birth parents request a one-off meeting, which can be really helpful to them and to you.
Step eight: moving in
After getting to know each other, if you're still all happy with the idea and the child feels ready, it's time for them to move in. You'll remain in contact with the adoption and social workers until the adoption order is made, possibly longer.
Step nine: adoption order
The earliest a court can make an adoption order is 13 weeks after the child has moved in with you. This order breaks all legal ties with the birth parents and transfers parental responsibility to you. The child then enjoys the same rights as any other children you have.
Step ten: the future
The legal adoption of the child is the end of one chapter and the beginning of your life together as a family. You're not without support in this, many agencies run services for adoptive families to help them settle into their lives together. Adoptive families also have the right to ask their local authority to assess their need for adoption support services, including financial support.
Disclaimer: Family Wanted is supported by all the key national agencies, including Adoption UK, Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS), British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) and The Fostering Network. The BBC offers an introduction to the adoption and fostering process, but cannot handle any individual enquiries.
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