Adopting a child who is in care

This is the most common route to adoption.

A child is only  placed in care when there are serious safeguarding concerns linked to neglect or physical, emotional or sexual abuse.

Their birth parents may also be struggling with drug and alcohol abuse, mental health difficulties or domestic abuse.

Short-term foster carers will look after the child while the court explores whether another member of the birth family could care for them.

We only we start looking for an adoption match when it is clear no-one in the birth family can take on that responsibility.

For more information please contact us.

Fostering for adoption

Fostering for adoption (FFA) can be part of an Early Permanence plan for a child. This means a child can be placed with approved adopters earlier while being temporary foster carers.

This route will be considered during the stage 2 assessment.

There are a range of benefits and risks with this route to adoption.

It gives the child as much stability at the earliest possible stage and the bonding period will begin sooner giving a secure and loving base for that child. However, the outcome of court proceedings and unknown family members coming forward to be assessed isn’t in the control of the adoption agency, therefore this presents as one of the risk’s with FFA.

The agency does work closely with Children’s social work teams to identify children’s plans that could be suitable for FFA and would only continue with this plan if all professionals involved were confident that a FFA placement was the right care plan for a child coming into the care of the Local Authority, whose plan would most likely be adoption. The risks and benefits of FFA placements can be fully discussed with AiM and should you progress with us, throughout your assessment.

Step parent and partner adoption

Step parent and partner adoption is when a step parent or partner in a family becomes the legal parent to their partner’s child and acquires all parental rights for that child or children.

This severs the parental rights of the birth parent and is an order that UK courts take very seriously.

The application will involve a designated social worker that will need to speak to everyone involved, including the birth parent of the child. The assessment will provide a range of references from schools, if relevant, referees such as long standing friends or family, and any children in the family unit.

The social worker will provide a report to the court and this will then be up to members of the court to decide if the step parent adoption will be granted.

Everyone involved is required to understand that the parental rights will be taken from one person and given to another and that this is non reversible.

If you are interested in step parent and partner adoption please contact us.