After your intial inquiry, you will be sent written information about the adoption process.
After reading the information, if you wish to pursue further, you can contact the Greenwich Adoption Team using the details in the right hand menu, for an initial interview.
The following information details the adoption process, a simple breakdown of this process can be seen on our step-by-step guide page.
Requirements
After the interview, if the Adoption team decide to offer you an adoption assessment, you will be sent a consent form to allow us to carry out statutory checks, including medical, references and criminal records.
Having a criminal record does not necessarily exclude people from adopting. If the statutory checks are returned satisfactory, an application form will be sent to start the assessment.
Assessment process
The process is designed to give you the opportunity to ask as many questions about adoption as possible.
To assist us and your in understanding the requirements, a social worker will spend a lot of time getting to know you.
They will want to:
- find out what type of parent(s) you are likely to be
- make sure your home meets health and saftey requirements
- help you prepare for the special job of being adoptive parent(s)
- plan your assessment, and
- organise your attendance at a preperation and assessment group, which is held over two and a half days.
Completion of assessment
On completion of the assessment, your case will be presented to the adoption panel for consideration and the Adoption Agency Decision Maker (AADM) for final approval.
If you are considered suitable to adopt there may be another wait before a child is matched to you.
The crucial part of making sure an adoption is a success, is making sure that the needs of each child are met.
As part of this, we look at all aspects of a child's background, religion, language and culture.
We then look at how closely these factors match your own circumstances.
Once the match has been considered by the panel and the AADM, the child will move in with you.
Once he/she has been living with you for at least ten weeks, you can then lodge your application to adopt the child.
What happens next?
The birth parents wishes and feelings about granting the adoption order will be considered by the courts.
At this stage the court appoints a Reporting Officer who will ensure that the birth parernts understand what adoption is about and witnesses their agreement to the adoption order being made.
What happens in the court hearing?
If the birth parents agree, then the hearing in court usually lasts less that half an hour.
The judge or magistrate read a report prepared by social workers, then ask the prospective adopters a few questions and give their decision immediately.
If the birth parents do not agree with the granting of the Adoption Order then the adopters can ask the court to make the order without agreement.
The court can only do this in special circumstances, for instance, if the child has been abandoned.
An independent worker called the Guardian ad Litem, will be appointed to the court to investigate and advise the court on whether an adoption order should be made.
Further information
For more information about adoption in Greenwich, please contact our Adoption team using the contact information in the menu to the right.