Types of Adoption

Adoption describes the legal process where the parental rights and responsibilities for a child are given to a person who is not the child's birth parent.

There are several ways of adopting, or of gaining parental responsibility for a child you may already care for. The option you choose will depend on your circumstances and what is right for you,  your partner, and existing family.

If you wish to extend your family through adoption, you can consider Adopting through an agency, adopting from overseas or arranging a private adoption.

If you wish to gain parental responsibility for a child you already know, you could consider step-parent adoption, special guardianship orders or private adoption.