Becoming an approved adopter can take about six to eight months, from application to approval.
Once you are an approved adopter we will match you with a suitable child. This can take from a couple of months to a few years.
Step 1: Initial enquiry to the adoption service
Adoption pack sent (Within five working days of your enquiry)
Step 2: Information meeting
A member of the adoption team will visit you at home to find out more about you. They will answer any questions you have about what happens or about the children who need permanent new homes, to help you decide if adoption is right for you.
(Within two months of your enquiry)
Step 3: Preparation group
You will be invited to attend four days training, along with other prospective adopters. This will help you find out about adoption in a lot more detail and will give you the opportunity to meet adoptive parents, to find out about adoption first hand. The purpose is to help you decide if adoption is for you and if you wish to proceed to the next step.
Our next preparation group is:
Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September 2009
and
Thursday 24 and Friday 25 September 2009
Step 4: Making an application
If you decide to go ahead you will need to fill in an application form, you will also be asked to give permission for follow up checks, and references.
Step 5: The assessment
A detailed assessment will be carried out on the following:
The adoption agency will then write a report called the Prospective Adopters Report, often referred to as a Form F report.
(We aim to complete your approval as an adopter within six months of receiving your decision to proceed following preparation groups)
Step 6: Oldham Adoption Panel
Your report will be considered by Oldham’s Adoption Panel. This is a group of adoption specialists and people experienced in adoption. Your social worker will attend to answer any questions from the Panel. You will also be invited. Once they have considered the report, the panel will recommend whether or not you should be approved as an adoptive parent.
Based on the panel’s recommendation, the agency will then decide whether or not to approve you within seven working days of the panel sitting.
Step 7: Matching you to a child
If you are approved the next step will be to match you with an appropriate child or children. This can take from a couple of months to a year, or even longer. Oldham has links to other local authorities in the North West to try and assist in the process of linking children to suitable adopters and the national Adoption Register will also help adoption agencies to link adoptive parents with children waiting to be adopted. How quickly you are matched depends on factors such as the profile of children you have been approved for. The local authority responsible for the child approves potential matches.
Step 8: Placement
Once a child/children has been identified as possibly suitable, the placement will be carefully planned. After a gradual period of introduction they will come to live with you and become part of your new family. Remember, you are not on your own. We will be able to offer you advice after placement and will be responsible for keeping in touch with you until the adoption is finalised. The child’s social worker will visit to make sure that everything is going well and will also offer support.
Step 9: The Adoption Order
When your adoptive child has settled down in your family you will be able to apply to court for an adoption order to be made. An Adoption Order ends all legal ties the child has with the birth family. The child takes your surname and becomes a full member of your family.
You can not apply for and Adoption Order until the child/children have lived with you for at least ten weeks.
Step 10: Post Adoption Support
There is a lot more help available for everyone involved in adoption these days. Adoption is a life long commitment, which can throw up different issues at different times. We will be here to help and support you when you need it, along with a range of other services.
Although the process may seem daunting at first, your adoption team worker will provide you with help and support every step of the way.