My child is being adopted

Some birth parents decide that it would be best for their child if he or she were adopted because of their own personal circumstances and they feel they may not be able to provide the care that the child needs.

Some birth parents may have had the child removed by the local authority because of concerns about the child’s welfare. They may then decide themselves to have their child adopted. In other cases, it is the local authority that will decide it is best for the child, and you may not be happy with the decision.

What support is available?

Birth parents are able to have access to a support worker, independent of their child’s social worker, as soon as the local authority definitely decide that adoption is to be their proposed plan for the child.

Birth parents are entitled to counselling, advice and information about adoption and related issues.  This includes an explanation of the adoption process so that you know what is going to happen and what it means for you. You will be able to talk through any worries you have about the adoption and your views about the plan.

If your child is to be placed for adoption, as a parent you may ask the local authority to assess your support needs. This might include support for contact arrangements, including engaging family mediation services to help resolve difficulties or tensions arising over contact, financial support with the costs incurred during contact visits or assistance with writing letters to the adoptive parents or your child.

It can be very distressing to hear that the local authority is considering a possible plan to place your child for adoption. You may be angry and upset and want to avoid having anything to do with your child’s social workers. However, it is very important for you to stay involved to ensure that we know what your views are and that we have all the correct information about you and your family so that any decisions about your child are made on the correct basis, including whether any other family members could offer to care for your child.

If you are not happy about your child being adopted, you should contact your support worker and a solicitor who specialises in child care cases. Legal Aid may be available if you need it. You can also contact the Family Rights Group who will provide you with support and advice.

Hampshire run a number of groups and workshops that may be of interest.

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What is the process?

A child cannot be placed for adoption without either:

• The agreement of the child's birth parents.
• The court's decision and the making of an appropriate court order.

Birth parents involved in the decisions

As birth parents, you need to be fully involved in the discussions and planning with social workers. If you have agreed to place your child for adoption you will most probably want to be involved.

Even if you don't agree to what is being planned, as birth parents you need to take part so that your thoughts and opinions are taken into account and recorded.

Within 4 months of your child becoming looked after by the local authority, a plan must be made which will provide the child with the best solution for their future.

Adoption may be only one of the options being looked at. Consideration may be given to placement within the wider family or return to the birth parents at the same time as the plan for adoption is being progressed.

Court proceedings

If the local authority believes that adoption is the right plan for your child it will ask the court to make a Care Order and to agree to placement for adoption. You, the birth parents, will be involved in the court case.

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The Adoption Panel

By law, any plan for a child to be placed for adoption has to be considered by an Adoption Panel.

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Maintaining contact

There are various ways of maintaining contact after adoption depending on the circumstances.

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