Who can adopt?
A wide range of people can and do adopt. You can be male or female; married; in a civil partnership; 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 to undergo a full medical examination. The medical adviser is unlikely to endorse the placement of children under 5 years of age in households where somebody smokes. This is to safeguard the child's health. If you have a medical condition we are interested in the impact this may have on your ability to care for a child into adulthood.
Relationship Status
You can be married, in a civil partnership, 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 6 months and preferably longer to meet the child's needs.
Finances
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 in respect of 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.
