Adoption
Adoption
Adoption is a rewarding way of building a family, but it is not always easy. Adoption agencies would expect you to have ended any fertility treatment before you apply. They will check with your GP and with any clinic s/he has referred you to, to confirm that your treatment has ended. This is to ensure that you have come to terms with your own infertility.
Getting approved for adoption is an intrusive and lengthy process; once a child is found and placed with you, further challenges may come to light. Many children placed with adoptive parents have had traumatic experiences and these can cause behavioral difficulties. Despite this, many adoptive parents are living proof that it was worth it.
All adoptions (domestic and overseas) can only go ahead after a Home Study has been completed by a social worker and you have been formally approved to adopt. A home study can only be undertaken in respect of either a domestic or overseas adoption, and not both. Overseas adoption home studies are often given a low priority by social services.
For more information contact your local social services department and the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) for a list of independent agencies.
Overseas Adoption
Many couples consider adopting a child from overseas.
Although the child will be brought up as a British citizen, it is important to give her or him a sense of cultural heritage, and your views and plans for this will be of interest to both the officials in the child's country and your social worker. The process for applying to adopt an overseas child varies depending on the country of origin and can be complex, bureaucratic and subject to delay. Some countries have very young children available, although whether you are allocated a young child may depend on your own ages. Some overseas countries are 'designated countries' which means that you have only to adopt the child in her/his own country. In non-designated countries you must adopt the child there and then apply to adopt it in the British courts on your return.
Overseas adoption will involve some expense - the cost of the home study and the cost of travel, accommodation etc. and the use of a local guide will account for most of your costs. It is impossible to give a general figure as there are so many variables.
Do get in touch with the specialist adoption information groups listed below, as they can give you good, up-to-date information and advice.
The Association for Families who have Adopted from Abroad (AFAA) (formerly STORK)
Adoption UK (formerly PPIAS)