How to Find the Right Adoption Agency for You

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When it comes to adopting a child, the agency you choose plays a huge part in the process. They will assess your application and decide whether or not you’re suitable for adoption. After this they will also be responsible for finding a child that is matched to your requirements. Here’s how to find an adoption agency that’s right for you:

 

Location, location, location

Most adoption agencies have a policy regarding the distance their applicants can be from the location of their headquarters, this is roughly 50 miles. While this distance may not be important to you, it can be impractical for the agency who may need to call you in on a short notice.

Another reason for choosing an agency within close proximity is that many of these organisations are voluntary organisations and local authorities, who simply cannot afford to take on all potential parents from outside their area.

 

Agency’s Attitude

When it comes to finding the right agency for you, it is important to pick one that doesn’t judge you based on your lifestyle.
While the majority of adoption agencies are very open minded in terms of marital status and sexuality, you might find places who prefer to accept married heterosexual couples only. Make sure that you thoroughly investigate the agency you are looking into to ensure that there are no problems with your application.

 

Recommendations

There are a plethora of adoption agencies out there, all offering the same thing. However they may not provide these services to the same standards. Try to talk to people you know who have already adopted for recommendations. If you don’t know other people who’ve adopted, then find online reviews or adoption stories – often agencies will publish these on their website to help showcase their work.
Personal recommendations are one of the strongest points on which you can form an opinion of an adoption agency, however it is important to note that every case is different. While you may get a glowing review of an agency, you are not guaranteed a successful adoption.

 

Talk to them

Nothing will find the perfect agency for you faster than sitting down and have a face to face chat with them. Everything you read online or hear about from third parties pales in the light of a real connection. They can talk you through the entire application, assess your likelihood of being accepted and give you pointers in order to help speed up the process.
If you physically visit the agency, they will be able to give you an information pack to give you a more complete understanding of adoption. Some organisations also have information evenings, where you can learn more about the process and talk to other would-be parents.

If you want to know any more about how to find the perfect adoption agency for you then get in touch with Adopt Wales today and we can help you start the process of creating your own little family.

How long does the adoption process take?

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When you look into the adoption process one of the first questions that’s asked is “How long will it take?” It’s completely understandable that you want to know how long you can expect to be waiting to bring a child into your home. However, the true answer is that any adoption timescales you receive will be an estimate. There are several stages in the adoption process and there is a different waiting period for each, here are the common timescales:

 

Registration of interest

Once you’ve found a local adoption agency that’s within a 50 mile radius of your home you need to send them an enquiry stating your desire to adopt. After you’ve made an initial enquiry to an adoption agency, they will send you an application form so that you can make an official request to be assessed for adoption.
Expect this stage to take anywhere between a couple of days to 4 weeks, depending on how busy that agency is. If they are understaffed or have received a huge amount of applications it will take a longer time, whereas some agencies will have a much faster turnaround.

 

Formal assessment

If your request was successful, then this is the stage where the excitement starts to build up. The agency will begin to assess how eligible you are for adoption and make decisions of what type of children you would be best suited to. At this point in time they will be looking at your police records, medical records and personal references from your friends.
Again, the length of time this can take will vary between applications but you should be prepared for this to take up to 8 months to complete.

 

Social worker allocation

During the previous stage you will be assigned a social worker to help assess your suitability for adoption. This tends to be the most invasive of all the assessment as it involves them carrying out a home study to ensure that your place of living is suitable for children. They will also play an important part in matching you with the child.
Generally this will take no longer than 3 weeks simply due to the cost of the social worker’s wages. This is the most essential part of any assessment and once it is complete the social worker will send the paperwork to an adoption panel.

 

Adoption Panel

Once the assessment has been complete, the paperwork will be passed onto an adoption panel. This is the final hurdle in deciding whether or not you are suitable to adopt. If you’re fortunate enough to receive a positive result from the panel, then the agency can start searching for a child who’s a suitable match for you.

How long it takes to come to a decision should come within a month of completing the assessment. However, finding the right match can take anywhere between a few days to several months. The length of time will depend on what age range you are hoping to adopt and the amount of other people trying to adopt in the area.

After this it is just a waiting game to find a suitable child to adopt. Unfortunately, there is no real way of finding out how long this aspect of adoption will take. Most adoptions can be completed within a year, but don’t despair if yours doesn’t follow this exact timeline.

The First Day at a Brand New School

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Elementary_classroom_in_Alaska
Photo source: Wikimedia

The big day is fast approaching, your newly adoptive child is about to start their new school. Do they seem nervous, anxious, maybe excited? Help that first morning run smoothly and without a glitch with these easy tips.

The Teacher
Arrange for you and your child to meet their teacher before their first day. This way there won’t be the fear of whether they will like their new teacher or not. When you meet the teacher it is important to give them at least 2 contact numbers for you and any information about allergies or medication your child may take.
If you can’t arrange a meeting then maybe try and find a photo of the teacher on the school website so your child can put a face to the name.

The School
As well as meeting their teacher a nice thought may be to pay the school a visit and to have a tour of the classroom and facilities your child will be using. A sense of familiarity on a first day will ease nerves. Perhaps you can take a look at where they will sit in class, you could locate the toilets or even run around the school yard together.
Stationary

One of the great things about starting a new school or a new year is the chance of getting a new pencil case and pens. I don’t know about you but we love scented gel pens! Even though your child might not need new stationary the shop together will be a nice treat and it makes the day seem special.

The Routine
Cut the anxiety over the unknown by practising your morning routine a few says before the first day of school. Wake up the same time, eat breakfast and get into the car on time. Children thrive when given a set routine as it is familiar. If they have the morning routine perfected then there should not be any interruptions which would make you late on their first day.

Label
Have you got a labelling machine? No? Then get out your trusty permanent marker and make sure that your child’s name is written on all of their belongings. Jumper, lunch box, coat, everything! This way even if they get left around, they should get returned. Hopefully with labelled items this will give your child a sense of ownership and they will be less likely to misplace items.

On the Day
When you get to school explain that it is only for a few hours and that you will be coming to pick them up soon. Some children who have been in care may have separation anxiety so this is an important step. Tell them the time and point out where you will be waiting for them.

And if they cry, don’t feel bad. You’re not doing anything wrong, they have to go to school. Just make sure not to cry in front of them.

If your adoptive child is starting a new school in the new school term then get prepared with these tips. It’s a big day for both of you, so enjoy it!

Adopting a Second Child

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When people think of adoption, often they conjure an image of just the one child, in fact many couples have a number of children and this is no different if you are an adopter.

Some adopters decide they want to adopt multiple children, perhaps a set of twins or older/younger siblings who are in foster care together. In this instance, the prospective adopter will complete assessment for more than one child.

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