Thinking about adoption

About adoption, things you should know, frequently asked questions.

Find out more

Our online information events provide an informal, warm and honest presentation about adoption.

What is adoption?

Adoption is a legal process by which parental responsibility for a child is transferred from the child’s birth parents to adoptive parents. It is means of securing permanent care by adopters for children who cannot, for many different reasons, live with their birth family.

Children of every age and background need adoptive families. Some are babies and toddlers and many are of primary school age. There are also brothers and sisters who need to live together and children who are need parents to support their own ethic and cultural background.

Most children needing adoption will be affected by their early life experiences. Some children will have additional needs like health problems, physical disabilities or learning difficulties. What they all have in common is the need for a forever family who can give them the love, support and care they need to grow and flourish.

Parenting adopted children is uniquely challenging and extremely rewarding. Whilst adoptive parents need all the same qualities as any other parent - commitment, patience, sensitivity, empathy, flexibility, energy and love - they may need to parent differently to meet the particular needs of an adopted child. This may sound daunting but there is plenty of support available.

If you are able to offer love, commitment, time, patience and the motivation to want to understand how your child sees the world, we would like to hear from you.

We believe that every child deserves a lifelong family. If you are considering adoption, our friendly, expert team will provide you with all the support you need every step of the way.

What is Early Permanence?

Early Permanence is a route to adoption which involves a child being placed with prospective adopters who are temporarily approved as the child’s Foster Carers. This enables children to be cared for at the earliest opportunity by those who may become their adoptive parents whilst final decisions are being made about the child’s long-term future. Whilst Early Permanence is often associated with babies and very young children, it is also an option for older children and sibling groups.

Early Permanence Carers are required to work with the Fostering Service of the Local Authority for the child whilst the Family Court decides what is the best long-term care arrangement for the child. The Court will take time to determine whether the child can be safely returned to the care of their birth family or, where it is decided this is not possible, whether the child should be adopted. If a decision is made that the child’s needs would best be met by being adopted and the child is in Early Permanence Care, then the child does not have to move. This means that the child will not experience additional loss that typically occurs when a child moves from Foster Care. Early Permanence can therefore lay the foundations for improved health and emotional wellbeing of the child.

Like all routes to adoption, Early Permanence has some uncertainty. It is a route that isn’t suitable for every prospective adopter and our Social Workers will discuss and explore the option of Early Permanence during the assessment process. Additionally, the benefits and challenges of Early Permanence are fully explored during specific Early Permanence training that is offered by Adopt North East. This two-day training also provides an in depth look at the role and expectations of prospective adopters during the Fostering phase.

Jayne and her partner started their Early Permanence journey when their child was just days old. Listen to her story here.

Advantages for the child of Early Permanence Care

· Early Permanence places the child at the centre of decision-making

· The child will benefit from stability and continuity of care from the earliest possible stage, avoiding the possibility of having to move and changes in carers

· Early Permanence enables the child to be placed with their carers at an earlier stage than conventional adoption, allowing for earlier bonds to the carers to be formed

· Research suggests that fewer moves and carers for children reduces the impact on their developmental and emotional wellbeing

Advantages of becoming an Early Permanence Carer

· As an Early Permanence Carer, you can provide love and care to a child at a time of their life when they need to be separated from their parents and wider family due to concerns about their safety. Regardless of the final outcome for the child, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have played an important part in the child’s life story.

· You will get to know a child sooner and if the child’s plan becomes one of adoption, you will already have an established bond on which to build

· You will share earlier lived experiences with the child than conventional adoption.

· Some Early Permanence Carers are able to care for very young babies, including newborn children. If this was right for you, it means you will be part of the child’s journey from the very beginning.

· Early Permanence Carers may get to know the birth family of a child in their care through 'family time' contact sessions. This will give a better and more rounded understanding of the child’s birth family and history. As a result, you will be able to talk more meaningfully with your adopted child about their birth family and offer them real insight into their early experiences.

· Some Early Permanence arrangements can lead to, where appropriate, meaningful relationships between the adopters and the child’s birth family in the child’s best interests

Challenges of becoming an Early Permanence Carer

Being an Early Permanence Carer does not suit all prospective adopters. Adopt North East will work with you to come to the right decision. There will be a number of things that you will need to consider:

· Like all prospective adopters, you will need to be emotionally resilient, flexible and be able to manage uncertainty.

· Like all adopted children, there may be some uncertainties around their health and development due to their young age. However, for some children in Early Permanence Care there may be less information known about the child at the point of placement.

· Like all prospective adopters, you will need to be able to work with professionals and attend / be available for regular meetings and visits to your home. However, for most Early Permanence Care, there is likely to be a higher number of meetings and visits because planning for the child is ongoing.

· You will need able to be part of the arrangements to enable the child to spend time with their birth family until the court makes its final decision about whether the child should be adopted. This can include transporting the child to and from a contact or, with support, being present during these contacts

· As an Early Permanence Carer, there is a period of time when you will be the Foster Carer for the child and not ‘Mam or Dad'. Being a Foster Carer is a distinct role with some specific responsibilities to the Local Authority. You will however be fully supported to fulfil this role and have a dedicated Fostering Social Worker

· You will be caring for the child whilst decisions about the child’s future are determined. Given the importance of making the best possible decision for the child, these decisions take time. The length of time that things remain uncertain can be tough.

· Rarely, the court will decide that it is in the child’s best interests to return to their birth parents or to be cared for by someone in their extended family rather than be adopted. This means that the child will need to move from your care. This is often the emotionally toughest outcome for Early Permanence Carers. Whilst undoubtedly wanting the best for the child, it means that there is not the opportunity for you to adopt the child. It is therefore important that have strong support and the emotional resilience and strength to manage such an outcome.

Are you a friend or family needing some guidance? Download our leaflet here.

Why adopt with us

Adopt North East is a Regional Adoption Agency based in the North East of England. It was established in December 2018 by five local authorities – Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Northumberland - and provides adoption services on their behalf.

In joining their adoption services together, the vision and ambition of the five partner Local Authorities is for Adopt North East to achieve ‘excellent adoption services that transform children’s and families lives for the better’.

Adopt North East has responsibility finding forever families for children. It recruits, assesses and approves prospective adopters and provides support to all parties affected by adoption, including adopters, adoptive families, adopted children, adopted adults and birth relatives.

Since it was created, Adopt North East has found hundreds of forever families for children and supported over a thousand adoptive families.

Adopt North East has a staff group of just over 50. We are all passionate about adoption. We would describe ourselves as friendly, warm, honest and open in approach and we care deeply about what we do.

Who can adopt?

Adoptive parents come from different walks of life. We consider all applications from people aged over 21, regardless of sex, gender, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation. You can be working or not, single, married or in a partnership.

If you are thinking about adoption, it might be helpful to think through these questions:

Can you provide love, time and commitment to a child?
Can you empathise with a child who may never have experienced the security of feeling safe and loved?
Can you be patient and flexible, to supportively adapt to whatever unique challenges may come from the child’s circumstances?
Do you have the energy and health to provide a family for a child for the long-term?

If you believe the answer to all those questions is yes, then there is a good chance you could become an adoptive parent.

Frequently asked questions

We are sure you will have many questions. Common questions we are often asked are ...

Can I adopt if …

Single people can adopt; many children are successfully parented by a single parent. A significant proportion of adopters are, for a range of reasons, single. Adopt North East will work with applicants who are single to identify who is within their support network and the contribution that the network would be able to make to the care of a child.
Many people come to consider adoption following unsuccessful fertility treatment or the sad loss of a pregnancy. Some people can be ready to start their adoption journey within a few months and for others it will take longer. We can sensitively help you to work out the best approach and timing for you.
There is no legal upper age limit to becoming an adopter. More mature applicants often bring the strength of life experiences to adoption. Adopt North East will require that you to have the health and vitality required to meet the needs of a child in your care through to adulthood.
Legally, those under 21 years of age cannot adopt.
If you have or have had a serious illness you will not be automatically be ruled out as an adopter. Adopt North East will ask you to consent to the disclosure of your medical records so that it can obtain an expert review of the impact of the illness on your suitability to become an adopter. This is to ensure that you can meet the needs of an adopted child and that adoption would not impact your own health.
Mental health issues in adults are more common than you may think. You will not be automatically be ruled out as an adopter because you have experience of or currently subject to mental health issues. Adopt North East will ask you to consent to the disclosure of your medical records so that it can obtain an expert review of the impact of your mental health on your suitability to become an adopter. This is to ensure that you can meet the needs of an adopted child in your care and that adoption would not impact your own mental health.
Being unemployed or on a low income does not automatically rule you out of being an adopter. You can be an adoptive parent if you are on benefits. Adopt North East always considers the financial circumstances of an applicant adopter. An adopter will need to evidence that they can meet the costs of caring for a child. The Agency will support an applicant to explore what benefits or tax credits they may be entitled to. There are also some circumstances in which there may be additional financial support for a child where the child has assessed additional and complex needs.
Adopt North East requires that you have stability in your personal life so that you would be able to provide an adopted child with the stability and consistent care that they need. If you are unsure, then do ask Adopt North East for advice.
Being in full time work does not automatically rule you out of being an adopter. Adopt North East always considers the employment circumstances of an applicant adopter. An adopter will need to evidence that their employment gives them the availability and flexibility to care for a child, including the provision of Adoption Leave. The Agency will support an applicant to understand their rights as an employee.
Many people applying to adopt have children that they already care for. Adopters with previous or current experience of caring for children have many of the skills required. Where an applicant has care of a child or children, Adopt North East will assess not only the suitability of the adopter but also the potential impact of adoption on child/ren already in their care. Where Adopt North East approve adopters who have children in their care, Adopt North East will ensure that there are at least two calendar years between an adopted child and children already in the adopters care, unless the adopted child is a sibling of a child or children in their care. An adopted child would need to be younger than the pre-existing child.
Many applicant adopters have previously adopted. Adopt North East requires that there must be a minimum period of two years from the date of placement of the previous child/ren with the prospective adopters to the date of the approval decision as to their suitability following reassessment. This policy enables re-assessment by Adopt North East to fully consider the impact of the adopted child/ren on the adopters’ suitability to adopt a further child/ren and, critically, the impact of further adoption upon the child/ren already in their care.
Adopt North East is committed to the equal treatment of all potential adopters. You will not be automatically be ruled out as an adopter because you are overweight. Adopt North East seeks medical advice on all applicant adopters and this includes a prediction about future health and wellbeing. Adopt North East will therefore obtain an expert review of the impact of your weight upon your suitability to become an adopter. This is to ensure that you can meet the needs of an adopted child in your care.
There are a few very serious offences that if you have a criminal conviction or caution for, you are legally prevented from being able to adopt. However, most criminal offences do not automatically rule you out from being suitable to adopt. Adopt North East will check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and any recorded offence or relevant police investigation will need to be discussed with you. You will be expected to be open and honest.
Adopt North East will not approve someone as suitable to adopt if they are not able to evidence that they have ceased smoking or vaping for six months prior to the date you register your interest. The only exception to this rule is where an applicant is seeking to adopt a child already in their care. Applicants using nicotine patches or other substance-based alternatives to smoking, including chewable tobacco, will be strongly advised by the Agency to end their use prior to applying to adopt – however, they will not be precluded from registering their interest with the Agency.
Adopt North East requires that a couple relationship be a minimum of 12 months duration and the couple must have had their primary living arrangement together for the past 12 months duration at the point of application. This enables the applicants to evidence that their relationship is enduring and provide a reasonable expectation that the relationship would provide an adopted child with stability and consistent care.
Adopt North East is committed to the equal treatment of all potential adopters. You can adopt if you are from a faith community. Children who need to be placed for adoption come from many different cultures, backgrounds and religions.
Adopt North East is committed to the equal treatment of all potential adopters, irrespective of your sexuality or gender identity. For applicants who have transitioned or are transitioning, Adopt North East requires that applicants have an established gender identity so that a child would have the stability and consistency necessary to form attachments. We would be happy to discuss in confidence with you any issues of identity that may be relevant to adoption. For LGBTQ+ couple relationships, applicants must have been in a relationship for a minimum of 12 months duration and the couple must have had their primary living arrangement together for the past 12 months duration at the point of application.
Adopt North East is committed to the equal treatment of all potential adopters.
Adopt North East is committed to the equal treatment of all potential adopters. Being disabled does not automatically exclude you from becoming an adopter. Many adopters have a disability. Adopt North East will ask you to consent to the disclosure of your medical records so that it can obtain an expert review of the impact of your disability on your suitability to become an adopter. This is to ensure that you can meet the needs of an adopted child in your care but and that adoption would not impact your own health or disability. Even if you believe that you might need some additional assistance to adopt, it may be that this support can be made available.
Adopt North East is committed to the equal treatment of all potential adopters. You do not need to be a British national to adopt. You can adopt if you can evidence that you have been legally resident in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for at least 12 months. Except in exceptional circumstances, Adopt North East will also require that you can evidence that you intend to remain in the UK for at least two years following the placement of a child in your care.
To adopt in England, you must be legally resident in the UK, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man, and have been so for at least 12 months. If you are unsure, then do ask Adopt North East for advice.
UK citizens living abroad cannot adopt from the UK.
Adopt North East partners with the Inter-Country Adoption Centre (IAC) and have experience and expertise to help and support this specialist adoption journey. There are a range of fees associated with this route to adoption.
Yes, you can. The most important consideration is that you and your family give the emotional space and time needed to settle an adopted child into your family before you try for a birth child. The Agency would advise that you allow at least 2 years before trying for a birth child.
Adopt North East is committed to the equal treatment of all potential adopters. Many children needing adoption are not White British. Adopt North East requires more adopters from minority ethnic communities. It is likely that there is a child with your ethnic background, cultural heritage requiring adoption. Minority ethnic adopters can also be matched with a child who does not share their ethnicity and cultural heritage.
Adopt North East will support applicants who require help to understand some of the technical language involved in the adoption process with translation and interpretation. However, you will need some English language skills to be able to access services and advocate for an adopted child in your care. We would therefore strongly advise that you seek support to become reasonably fluent in English before applying to adopt.
Adopt North East will check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) any member of your household over the age of 18 years old, including your adult children. If an adult within your home has a conviction or a caution for a few serious offences, you may be legally prevented from being an adopter. However, most criminal offences committed by a member of your household will not automatically rule you out from being suitable to adopt.
You can adopt if you have debt – however, you will need to evidence that you will be able to manage servicing any debts, alongside the living costs associated with a child. Adopt North East always considers the financial circumstances of an applicant adopter. The Agency will support an applicant to explore what benefits or tax credits they may be entitled to.
Adopt North East requires that an applicant has enough space to comfortably accommodate an adopted child. This requirement is to ensure that an adopted child can, age appropriately, have their own space in order for them to feel settled and secure. This is usually the provision of their own bedroom. Where an adoption involves sibling children, the Agency may agree to the children sharing a room, dependent on age and stage of development. The Agency will look at the specific circumstances around the physical size of your home.
As long as your home is big enough to enable an adopted child to have their own space you do not need to own the property. You will need to be able to evidence that your landlord will allow you to care for a child/ren in your home and that, so far as is possible, your tenancy is secure to enable to offer a stable home environment to an adopted child.
Pet owners can adopt. Adopt North East will however need to be sure that any pet that you own does not pose a threat to a child’s health or safety. A report from a vet may be requested.
You might also need to be willing to make changes to the routines and care that you have established with your pet/s to meet the needs of a child.
Yes. You do not need to be able to drive in order to adopt. It may be that you have someone in your support network that could provide you with transport when needed. Adopt North East will assess your individual circumstances. However, you will be expected to be able to meet the travel needs of any child in your care.
Yes. You do not need any formal qualifications to become an adopter. Many successful adopters have no formal qualifications. Adopt North East are looking for people with skills and knowledge based on lived experiences rather than particular qualifications. Nevertheless, as part of the assessment process, your educational and vocational journey will be explored to understand how you will promote learning and engagement with the educational opportunities available to a child in your care.