Who are the children who need adoptive families?The children are in the 0-8 years age group although adoption can also be considered for older children if that is seen as being in their best interests. Few children are placed for adoption at their parents' request and most children will have been looked after in foster care where efforts to rehabilitate them with parents has not succeeded. Sometimes we are looking to place children in sibling groups, e.g. brothers and sisters who need to be placed together, as well as some children with a degree of special needs.
What support is available to adoptive families?All adoptive families will have support from their assessing worker who will work with them in relation to their application and then when they are matched with children. The child's worker will also offer support/advice and after the Adoption Order is granted, adopters can attend the Council's Adoption Support Group and link in with the post-adoption worker.
What is the difference between permanent fostering and adoption?Adoption is a legal process that transfers all the legal rights and responsibilities from the birth parents to the adoptive parents. Once an adoption has been granted it cannot be dissolved, unless the child is readopted by someone else. Although social work services will continue to offer post-adoption support after an adoption order has been granted, it is at the discretion of the adopters and the child whether or not they accept it. Fostering may be a short term way of offering a child a home until they can return to their own parents. However, some children cannot return home but still feel part of their own families and wish to continue to have contact with them. For these children adoption may not be appropriate. A permanent foster placement will therefore be sought with permanent foster carers. Permanent foster carers work in partnership with Social Work Services, who will continue to offer financial and emotional support to both the carers and the child. Although the day-to-day decisions that affect the child will be made by the foster carers, some decisions such as a change of school, a trip abroad or written consent for a planned surgical operation will require consultation with the birth family and social workers.
What is adoption?Adoption is a legal process that involves a court transferring all rights and responsibilities of birth parents to adoptive parents. It gives the child adopted a family for life and legally the same rights in relation to his/her adopted parents as any child has with their birth parents.
What are the legal requirements to adopt a child in Scotland?The only legal requirement is that adopters are over 21 years of age. A single person, or one partner in an unmarried couple - heterosexual, lesbian or gay - can adopt. Married couples can apply to adopt jointly.
Is there contact between children and birth parents before the adoption is finalised?When children are looked after and accommodated by the local authority and rehabilitation is the plan, contact is generally encouraged and made possible between the children and their birth parents. By the time it has been agreed that a child should be placed for adoption, contact has usually been reduced and occasionally may have been terminated. However, there are circumstances when it may not be considered in the child's best interests to terminate contact and contact may be ongoing. Such situations would be fully discussed with prospective adopters prior to placement.
Is there contact between adopters and birth parents?We are committed to the idea of openness in adoption and opportunities exist for both parents and adoptive parents to regularly update information held in the adoption file for the benefit of all parties. An increasing number of prospective adoptive parents and birth parents are meeting around the time of a childs placement with their new family. Both birth parents and adoptive parents often feel nervous about such contact, but research and our own experience have confirmed that such a meeting is usually perceived as having been very positive by all concerned. Birth parents benefit from being able to reassure themselves that their child is going to be looked after and cared for by caring people whom they have met and adopters are able to put to rest many fears and fantasies when they actually meet the birth parents. They are also able to give their adopted child first-hand information about their birth parents(s) in later years.
Is there an age limit on people who wish to foster or adopt a child?People must be at least 21 years old to foster or adopt a child. Other age restrictions apply for adoption depending upon the age of the child you are wanting to adopt. There is no upper age limit for people who are wanting to foster a child. Prospective foster carers will be assessed on an individual basis based upon their ability to provide a safe and nurturing home for the foster child.
How does the 'Childrens Act' affect children and foster care/adoption?The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 is a very important piece of legislation which brought with it a number of changes in the law which all confirm the importance of children's rights and the need to safeguard their care. Children have the right to live with their own birth families whenever they can safely do so. When that proves impossible, living with a caring family may be the next best thing. The Act confirmed the importance of carers as an integral part of the range of resources which children and young people require. The Act emphasises the importance of a child's racial, religious, linguistic and cultural heritage, and enquiries fro fostering/adoption are welcomed from people from all religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
How can I adopt a child from abroad?In order to adopt a child from abroad, the law requires that British people who wish to adopt children from overseas are prepared, assessed and approved in a similar way to adopters from this country. The local authority charge a fee for you to be assessed as a prospective overseas adopter. You can get in touch with us for advice about the process. For more detailed information about the individual countries, and issues involved in overseas adoption contact OASIS on 0870 241 7069, a UK based voluntary support group for people who wish to adopt children from orphanages overseas.
Do I need to be married if I want to adopt or foster a child?No. You can foster if you are single or if you live with a partner of the opposite sex. Couples wishing to adopt a child must be married in order to make a joint adoption application. As the law stands at present, unmarried or same-sex couples cannot submit a joint adoption application. One partner can submit an adoption application as a single individual. There are plans for the legislation in relation to this to change within the next few years.
Do I need a spare room if I want to adopt or foster a child?Ideally yes, it would be good to have a spare room if you want to foster or adopt a child. Children and young people need space around them for their own possessions and to allow them to study, play or just have a quiet moment to themselves where they can relax and feel undisturbed. If you have a big room with space it may be that they can share with your own child. The best thing to do is contact us and have a chat about it.
Do I have to be well off if I want to adopt a child?No, you do not have to be well-off to adopt a child. Everyone has something to offer. Children across Scotland need a family to grow in, and their needs are wide and varied. This means we need carers from lots of backgrounds so we can match the needs of children with the strengths and ability of carers.
Do I have to be Christian to adopt a child in Scotland?No, prospective adopters do not have to follow any religion to be considered and people from all ethnic origins are needed.
Do I have to be a British Citizen to adopt a child?No, you do not have to be a British citizen to adopt a child, but you must reside permanently in the UK and have the right to remain here.
Do I get paid for adopting a child?Although adoptive parents may be entitled to apply for an allowance, dependent on the needs of the child and the adopter's income, adopting a child means that you take on a child as if s/he was your own natural-born child. As such you are not entitled to payment beyond the usual state child allowance to which everyone is entitled.
Can I foster/adopt a child if I or my partner smokes?Smoking does not prevent people from being carers but it is not encouraged and should not take place around the child who has been fostered. Often carers who do smoke go outside. However, due to the risks of passive smoking, children under 2 years or with certain medical conditions are not placed in households with smokers.
Can I foster/adopt a child if I have health problems?Many people with health problems are approved as foster/adoptive parents. Perfect health is not essential. However, it is important that prospective carers are able to meet the needs of the children who require to be looked after, to prevent children experiencing unnecessary moves or avoidable difficult experiences. There is no list of conditions that would prevent fostering/adoption. Situations are assessed on their own merits. If you have a problem, let your social worker know as soon as possible so that full information can be sought. This may include an early medical examination or writing to your consultant, if you attend hospital. We will only ask for information if you sign a consent form to let us do this. The information on your health is considered by our medical advisor (a qualified doctor who specialises in adoption and fostering work). If you have a health problem that might make it difficult for you to meet the needs (emotional or physical) of children requiring to be looked after, then the medical advisor will point these out. They will also advise whether there is any action that may help to improve the situation.
Can I foster/adopt a child if I am overweight?If your weight affects your ability to care for children this would be considered carefully and discussed with yourself.
Can I adopt/foster if I work/don't work?Yes, you can adopt whether you work or not. However, like any other parents, you, and/or your partner, need to be available at crucial times e.g. before/after school. In addition you must also be able to make suitable arrangements if something untoward takes place e.g. they have to return early from school from sickness.
Can I adopt/foster a child with special needs or a disability?Yes, you can adopt or foster a child with special needs - all children need a loving, caring and supportive environment to grow up in.
Can I adopt/foster a child if I already have children of my own?Yes - but we would need to consider their ages and views in relation to the age and needs of the potential adoptive/foster child. This ensures that any placements made are good matches for you and your family as well as the child or young person who is being adopted or fostered.
Can I adopt if I am undergoing IVF?No, you cannot adopt if you are undergoing IVF. Children and young people who are in need of a permanent placement require stability and a lot of time and attention spent upon them. They also need to feel as if they have a place in the family that is safe and secure, and obviously this may be more difficult to achieve with couples who are currently still actively engaged in expanding their family.
Can I adopt if I am single?Yes - you can adopt a child if you are single. What is important is that you have family and friends around you that can support you when you need it, or just someone to talk to.
Can I adopt a child in Scotland if I have a criminal record?A record of offences will need to be carefully looked into, but apart from some offences against children, will not necessarily rule someone out from adopting a child. To protect children from harm there are some offences that would bar people from adopting. These include murder, manslaughter and offences involving children such as abandoning or exposing them to harm. Offences of a sexual nature would also preclude people from adopting. All people applying to adopt will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure (Scotland) check to find out if they had a criminal record and to check whether they were on the Scottish Ministers List of those disqualified from working with children. If you are concerned about a criminal record you should ask to discuss this matter with us at the earliest opportunity.
Can I adopt a child in Scotland if I am registered disabled?Disabled people are not excluded from adopting a child, and sometimes experience of disability will be positively welcomed. Everyone who wishes to adopt a child has to have a medical examination and health issues will need to be explored.