Give a child a new beginning
What is adoption?
Who can adopt?
Who are the children?
What happens about the birth parents?
What happens next?
The six step process
What support will I get?
It is when people offer a permanent family to a child who cannot be brought up by their own families. It is a legal process where the child takes the name of the new family and becomes part of that family.
This is a simple explanation but in reality if you decide to adopt you will offer stability and security to a child and take on the same rights and responsibilities of a birth parent. The child has the same rights as if it was your child by birth, including inheriting your property and takes your name.
- People over 21
- There is no upper age limit (but consider providing for a child when it reaches adolescence)
- Single people
- Married couples
- Households and families who have children of their own
- People in or out of work
- People who are fairly healthy
- People of all races, cultures, religions and speaking any language
- People of different sexual orientations
If you are going through fertility treatment, we would ask you to stop treatment before applying to adopt. If the treatment is unsuccessful, we would like you to have some breathing space before you start the adoption process.
As you can see, a wide range of people can adopt, just as the children come from all walks of life, the parents who care for them do too.
There are very few babies to adopt. Mostly we need parents for:
- Children between the ages of three and ten
- Boys
- Children with special health and educational needs
- Disabled children
- Children with challenging behaviour
- Brothers and sisters
- Asian, African, Caribbean and dual heritage children - parents who will reflect a child's racial, cultural and religious identity
Children awaiting adoption have often been through difficult and distressing experiences. They may have been abused or neglected. Flexibility, patience, understanding, kindness and love is what they need from you. This will eventually help them to feel happy and secure - although you can see it may be a long process. We find it more difficult to get families for children over the age of five so you may want to think about this.
Keeping 'being adopted' was often a secret in the past, but this has changed. Children have a right to know they are adopted. Most children have memories of their previous family or people who cared for them. If you adopt a child, you need to accept this and help the child to understand their personal history.You or the child may still have contact with the child's birth family. This could be:
- an exchange of information through the Adoption Agency - indirect contact
- face to face - direct contact
- a mixture of these
What happens next?
Contact the Bolton Adoption Team at the address given below. Most people who apply to adopt are accepted. If you live in Bolton you will not be matched with a child from Bolton. The child is most likely to come from Rochdale, Wigan or Oldham or anywhere in Greater Manchester. If it is taking a while to find a match for you, your application may go to a nationwide consortium.
The six step process
- Make an application - General enquiry form (Do it online section - top right)
- Attend a preparation course with other prospective adopters. You will have a chance to decide if adoption is what you want to do.
- An adoption worker will go through a home study with you. You will be asked questions about your personal life. Again, this is time for you to take stock and consider your reasons for wanting to adopt.
- The law says you must have a medical examination. We also take up police checks and personal references.
- The adoption worker writes a report. This will be shared with you.
- The report is presented to the Adoption Panel to discuss your application. A decision is made on your application as a prospective adopter.
As a Bolton adopter, or Bolton resident who is an adopted child you will be offered a a comprehensive adoption support service.
Our services range from support groups, training on adoption issues and individual support packages designed to meet you and your adopted child's needs. Please refer to our Bolton Adoption Support leaflet for further information (Downloads section - top right).
We also offer Schedule II counselling, access to birth records and intermediary services for adopted adults who live in Bolton.