The Law Relating to Adoption

The adoption process places children who can no longer live with their birth family in the care of a new family. There are around 4000 children in the UK who are seeking to be adopted each year. Children past a certain age and in groups with their siblings often find it much more difficult to get adopted. Adoption has become one of the most preferred options for couples who cannot have their own children. When a child is adopted their adoptive parents become their parents by law and take on full parental responsibility for the care and well being of the child, their birth parents no longer have any legal rights or responsibilities toward the child.

You need to live in the UK, Channel Island or Isle of Man to adopt in the UK. You must be over 21 unless you are partner of one of the parents of the child in which case you only have to be 18. You must also undergo a series of interviews and inspections to ensure that you can provide a safe home for a child.

If you would like to adopt a child, you will have to go through an adoption agency. These can be either privately or state run.

If you adopt a child, you will be entitled to statutory adoption leave which works in pretty much the same way as maternity leave. You will have to provide your employer with proof that you are adopting by giving them a copy of your adoption certificate, which can be obtained through your adoption agency.

The adoption process starts with the child that is being put up for adoption and their family being given an in depth background search and after this the agency will do the same to the prospective parents. The prospective parents will also have to explain their reasons for adoption. After the information has been gathered it is sent back to the prospective parents so that they can make statements about it before it is sent off to the adoption panel. The adoption panel look at the information provided by both the child's family and the prospective parents and work out whether adoption would be in the best interests of the child.

If they agree that adoption is the best way to go forward, they will let the prospective parents know and send them the information they received about the child's history and background. The adoption agency will then inform the local authority of the prospective parents that the adoption is about to take place. When the child is eventually living with their new family, the adoption agency will carry out regular checks to ensure that they are happy and safe at their new home.

A recent addition to adoption law is the introduction of Special Guardianship Orders. Special Guardianship Orders are given to long term carers of children to give them parental responsibility and security without removing all responsibility from the child's biological parents.

I am a legal writer covering advice on topics of law including adoption, for further text and similar works visit family law or contact a solicitor today.

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