Frequently Asked Questions
Please click on the question below that best answers your query. If you cannot find a suitable answer or your question does not appear please email your enquiry to the webmaster...
About Adoption UK and the Online Community
Information About Adoption
About Adoption UK and the Online Community
How do I join Adoption UK's Online Community?
Select 'join the Online Community' under the 'membership' tab on the left hand navigation bar and follow the simple instructions. You can then interact with other members and use the majority of features that the site has to offer. To use all of the features you will need to become an Adoption UK member. Join the Online Community...
How can I become a member of Adoption UK?
Select 'join Adoption UK now' under the 'membership' tab of the left hand navigation bar and follow the instructions given. Alternatively you can call us on 01295 752240 and organise your membership over the phone. Join now...
What is the difference between being an Adoption UK member and joining the Online Community?
Joining Adoption UK means paying our membership fee to become a full member of the charity, and being able to tap into a wealth of adoption support services Membership can cost just £40. If you are a member you will still need to register with the Online Community to access the full range of online features.
When we talk about ‘joining us’ on the Online Community we mean registering with the Online Community, which is free. Registering will enable you to make full use of the website features such as message boards, e-Library and Ask The Parents. Register with the site now...
What happens once I have paid my membership fee to Adoption UK?
Once you have paid your membership fee either online or over the phone, your details will be passed to our Membership department for processing. In the next few days you will receive your membership number, a new members’ pack and current magazines. Please allow up to ten days for processing and delivery. For access to the Adoption UK Members' Area and Children Who Wait Online, contact the webmaster with your Online Community username and your postcode.
Why can’t I log on to the Member’s Area of the Online Community or Children Who Wait Online?
The problem may be that you are a member of the Online Community but not Adoption UK (for which you pay a fee). Access to these areas is only allowed for members of Adoption UK who receive Adoption Today. Access to Children Who Wait Online is only available to members who also receive Children Who Wait magazine.
Once you have joined Adoption UK, please allow one full working day for us to process your membership and give you access to these areas. If this time has elapsed and you still do not have access, please email the webmaster with your username and post code, requesting access.
I am having difficulty logging on to the Online Community. What could be the problem?
This is likely to be a problem to do with the passing of 'cookies' on your computer (cookies carry information across from the main site to the message boards). If you go into the internet settings on your computer and alter your security and privacy settings to low and make sure they allow cookies, this should solve the problem.
Information About Adoption
We want to adopt a child and know nothing about it – where do we start?
You have come to the right place! This is what Adoption UK is here for. There are many features on our site which you can use to find information and support, including the Message Boards, e-Library and Insight, a resource base full of real-life first hand adoption experiences. Join Adoption UK and we can guide you to all the reading material you will need to find out what it is really like to be an adoptive parent. You can communicate with other people who have adopted children, and you can ask our helpline advisers all those questions you are most anxious about. Our links page lists other useful sites and Find an Agency gives all the adoption agencies in the UK. Try obtaining the booklet Adopting a Child from BAAF, as this will give you a good idea of the process which lies ahead. Good luck!
We are going through the adoption process and it is taking a very long time. How can we speed things up?
This is a difficult time – we know – and the desire to get through the 'process' quickly so that you may have a child in your family is entirely normal! We really understand your frustrations but sometimes it is no bad thing to take your time to get to grips with what adoption will really be like for you. Have a look at the Adoption Standards (Department of Health website www.dh.gov.uk to check out if things have really drifted beyond reason, also talk to your social worker about your concerns. As a subscriber you can call the Adoption UK helpline (0844 848 7900) for a chat to see if there is something specific we can suggest relating to your particular case.
Can I adopt as a single person?
Yes! Being single is not a barrier to adoption. Indeed, some children thrive on the undivided attention of a single parent although other family members, friends and work colleagues’ support is very important. Through Adoption UK you can meet or speak to other single people who have adopted children, so be confident in your enquiries. Our Message Boards are a great source of information as you can ask questions about adopting as a single person and other members, many of whom are experienced single adopters, will answer them for you.
We want to adopt a child from overseas – how do we go about this?
For support and information about a wide range of adoption issues that may affect children adopted from overseas similarly to those adopted domestically, you will find Adoption UK very helpful and may want to call our helpline for a chat. If you are a member of Adoption UK, we can also link you to another adopter who has adopted from a specific country, through our PAL network.
For practical information covering the process and the requirements of different countries around the world, contact the Intercountry Adoption Centre on 0870 516 8742 or visit www.icacentre.org.uk or OASIS (Overseas Adoption Support & Information Service) on 0870 241 7069 www.adoptionoverseas.org
I will need to take leave from my job when my child is placed with us for adoption and I am wondering what pay or leave entitlement I may have as an adoptive parent?
The government is committed to the provision of adoption leave which is similar to maternity leave. Adoption UK can put you in touch with others who have made a range of different adoption leave arrangements with their employers, so, if you haven’t already done so, subscribe to Adoption UK now! Other useful contacts are www.workingfamilies.org.uk and www.direct.gov.uk
I would like my new partner to adopt my (birth) child. How do we do this?
Go along to your local magistrate’s court and pick up an application form for an Adoption Order and inform your social services department, so that the necessary report for the court can be prepared. You may like to look further into the long-term implications of this adoption on your family. Two useful helplines are:
Stepfamily Scotland: 0845 122 8655
Parentline Plus: 0808 800 2222
We seem to be having some major behavioural problems with our adopted child. Our whole family life is being badly affected and our situation is deteriorating rapidly. What is going wrong?
There could be all sorts of reasons and this is one area where Adoption UK members have a good deal of experience and sensible, down to earth advice to share. As an Adoption UK member you can access a range of relevant publications, library books and reference material which could help you pinpoint the source of your child’s difficulties and link into some appropriate help. Call our helpline on 0844 848 7900 or click on the 'join Adoption UK' button to join now and be put in touch with other adopters with similar difficulties, through our PAL service. As a member of Adoption UK, you can also borrow a book, audio tape or video tape outlining parenting strategies which you may find useful.
I have a legal question relating to an adoption matter, can you help?
Adoption UK members can access legal advice through our helpline. Our helpline advisers may be able to answer something straightaway for you, or may refer you to one of our Adoption Support Coordinators If you need further support. As a subscriber it’s always worth a call or an email to see how we can help.
I want to trace my birth parents/child/adoptive brother/sister – can you help me?
We would suggest you contact the following organisations:
Adults Affected By Adoption - NORCAP: a similar organisation to Adoption UK but specifically geared to needs of adopted adults. It runs an Adoption Contact Register and offers support and advice to those undertaking a search for a birth relative.
Tel: 01865 875000
www.norcap.org.uk
Adoption Contact Register – which is the Government run contact register on which adult adoptees and birth parents can place their names with a view to being put in touch.
Tel: 0151 471 4830
www.statistics.gov.uk/registration
Natural Parents Network - a self-help support group for birth parents who have lost a child to adoption.
Tel: 0845 4565031 www.n-p-n.co.uk
What is the Adoption Register?
The Adoption Register for England and Wales provides a free service to adoption agencies to help increase the number of children in public care moving into secure, permanent families. The register has three main functions:
1. Maintaining a national database of all children needing adoption and of all approved families waiting to adopt.
2. Identifying ‘what works’ in finding families for children; the trends in adoption; the characteristics of children needing families and the adopters available to meet their needs.
3. Providing a free service to adoption agencies which identifies links nationally between children and families where a local or regional link is not desirable, or cannot be made within a reasonable period of time.
Find out more about the Adoption Register...
Do I have to be a British national in order to adopt in the UK?
To adopt from within England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you must be habitually resident or domiciled within the UK for at least a year before applying to a local authority or adoption agency to become approved as prospective adopters. You need to stay in the UK throughout the assessment process, and until the court agrees to an adoption. To adopt from Scotland you need to be domiciled or habitually resident in Scotland during this period before the application. If, however, your country of residence is signed up to the Hague Convention, then slightly different rules apply. For this, and for information on adopting a known child from the UK when you are resident in a country outside of the Hague Convention, you should seek the advice of a solicitor.
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