Staffordshire Fostering & Adoption Family Placement Service

Who can adopt?

A wide range of people can and do adopt. You can be male or female; married; single, divorced or living with a partner; with or without children; from any cultural background; employed or not; able bodied or with a disability. Our expectation is that prospective adopters show an understanding of children's needs and an ability to provide a safe and caring home.

Age

You must be over 21 to adopt. There is no specific upper age limit but we do need to ensure that you have a reasonable expectancy of being able to care for the child until they reach adulthood. For this reason we look at the age difference between you and the age of child you are considering adopting.

Health

Your health will be looked at and you will have to have a full medical examination. The medical adviser is unlikely to endorse the placement of children under 2 years of age in households where somebody smokes. This is to safeguard the child's health.

Relationship Status

You can be married, single or living with a partner. If you are in a relationship we expect the relationship to have been established for a period of at least 3 years. We need to ensure the relationship is stable and secure before placing a child with you.

Employment

You can be employed or unemployed, although we would expect your work commitments to be flexible in order to meet the needs of the child. It will be necessary for you (one of you if a couple) to be at home with a child to allow the child to settle. This time is likely to be at least 3 months and probably longer to meet the child’s needs.

Finances

We will look with you, at your financial situation to ensure that you are financially secure to take on the additional expenses of having a child or children. A financial assessment will be part of the overall assessment.

Your Current Family Situation

We welcome applications from people without children and people with children.

• If you are unable to have children because of fertility difficulties, and are currently undergoing fertility treatment it may not be the ideal time to pursue an adoption enquiry. However it can be an ideal opportunity for you to gather initial information about Adoption, particularly with respect to the process and the children who need adoptive homes.
• If you have children we would be looking to place children younger than your existing children and with at least a two to three year age gap.

Criminal Offences

There are certain criminal offences that would prevent you from being approved as an adopter. This includes any offences against children and may include offences of a violent nature. All offences are looked at and the circumstances of the offence will be taken into account when considering your application.

What expectations do we have of you?