We haven't got long to go now before the Adoption Order will be made. It's a shock to us as we realise it's now several months since the adoption placement when Heather and James became part of our family. Many of these social worker visits are a matter of routine and this far down the line you'll be used to them. They're a great resource, not only from a technical support perspective navigating through the available financial and organisational help but from a human support perspective by being there for you. Read more of this article... about Social Worker praise is praise indeed
Since 2005 it has been legal for gay and lesbian people to have their commitment to each other legally recognised in the form of a Civil Partnership. Since that time it has also been legal for gay couples to adopt children into their families. It has always been the case that a gay man or lesbian has been able to adopt singly and this continues, however the move to recognise the validity of Civil Partnerships has strengthened the process. Read more of this article... about Gay Adoption in England and Wales
This blog will reference some of the experiences we had while going through the adoption process as well as the immediate few months after placement however the main starting point or beginning for this blog will be a few months after adoption placement.
On this site you will be able to join us as we share with you our experiences of the adoption process in the UK and the life we now share with a lovely little girl and boy. Read more of this article... about Gay Adoption Blog
As a fresh faced Prospective Adopter you will be nervous and this is only to be expected. Don’t worry! The first visit is generally a bit of a get to know you session and an overview of the process. As part of this the social worker will begin making a plan on how to get you from being a Prospective Adopter to being an Approved Adopter. What you should do is look to see what you can do to make the process work for you. Read more of this article... about The first visit!
There is a lot of work that you have to do as part of the application process with the majority being done on the home visits as well as some left behind as homework for you to do. Yes, there is homework and lot's of it! Read more of this article... about Preparing for the home visits
This is a recounting of our journey and experiences, your own journey will almost certainly differ but there should be at least some similarities.
Once we had both agreed we wanted to adopt we applied to our local Adoption Agency (Local Authority). Our experience was initially quite pleasant and we honestly had no idea what to expect. There were a few telephone questions and then an appointment was made for a Social Worker to visit us. Read more of this article... about Applying to be a Prospective Adopter
Preparing to apply.
This step is not at all about completing the forms. This is subset of actions that are entirely optional at this stage however I found them extremely useful and they also helped speed up the entire adoption process from initial application to being Approved Adopters. Read more of this article... about Preparing to apply to adopt
