Childhood is a vulnerable stage of life. A child needs to be brought up with the utmost care and nourishment to grow up as a reasonable man. If a child does not get the proper environment to grow, he may suffer various catastrophic effects in the future. Many children lose the opportunity to get this environment from a very young age. The process of adoption has been introduced to provide them with adequate resources.
Annually several 6000 children come forward for adoption in the UK. These children include teenagers, school-going children, and even smaller babies. These children have either lost their parents or suffered from any form of abuse or negligence towards them. To overcome these hostile conditions for mental development, a child needs a safe and stable family to grow up with and parents who will help him/her by giving every kind of support required.
Some children may have some permanent inability related to their body or mind and require more attention and medical care. Adoption is not just a getting a baby thing. Adoption requires mental preparation to be a parent for a child other than the one who is born out of your womb.
Who can be an adopted baby in the UK?
You can adopt any child you like, irrespective of what background he/she comes from, what religion the parents possess, or what financial status they have. However, there are specific criteria in the UK related to who can be adopted.
- A child who is going to be adopted must be a minor. If a child is above 18 during the adoption application, he can’t be adopted.
- The child must not be married or have a previous marriage or civil partnership. If the child is proven to be married or had a marriage or civil partnership before, he can’t be adopted.
- If the child’s legal parents are living, you will require the consent of both of them before adopting the child. However, there are certain circumstances where the biological parent’s consent is not required.
- If the parents are dead or cannot be found, you don’t need their consent to adopt.
- If the biological parents cannot give consent due to any mental inability, consent may not be required for adoption.
- If the child is likely to get abused by his parents or have risks if not adopted, he can instantly be put up for adoption without consent.
Criteria of Baby Adopt in the UK
There are also certain criteria for the person willing to adapt according to the UK adoption laws.
- A person should be at least 21 or more to be eligible for adopting a child.
- A single parent can adopt a child with the same age limit.
- A married couple can adopt a child if both partners are above 21.
- Not only marriage, if a couple is in a civil partnership, but they can also adopt a child.
- Other than marriage and civil partnership, if a couple is living together, either homosexual or heterosexual, they can legally adopt a child.
- It would be best if you had a permanent residence in the UK or lived in the UK for at least one year before applying for adoption.
Benefits of Baby Adoption
Adoption can get you multiple benefits both for you and your adopted child. Introducing the adopted child to your pre-existing family can be a little bit difficult. Some children might suddenly find it difficult to adjust to a new family. So, the government of the UK provides specific monetary support for both the child and family.
The Adoption Support Fund is provided to ensure therapy sessions for the child and the new family to improve trust and build a strong relationship. Some children with previous mental trauma are likely to develop some behavioral issues and may need professional therapy to overcome this.
Considering both your income and necessity, the local authority will provide monetary help for adoption. According to your situation, there are other benefits like child tax and working tax credit.
What is the Baby Adoption Process in the United Kingdom
Adopting a child in the UK is a simple yet necessary process. Various aspects are kept in notice while the process proceeds. The process has multiple stages with some essential factors.
There are two ways to adopt a child in the UK. You can either go for an adoption agency of your local authority or a voluntary one.
- First, as mentioned earlier, you have to contact the bodies to inquire about the adoption to start the process.
- The adoption agencies will send you all the required information and their policies.
- The agencies will also call you for a meeting to discuss all the essential factors.
- The agencies will organize some Adoption assessment sessions to provide you with all the required knowledge about the adoption and its effects.
- The agencies will also appoint a social worker to visit you and ensure you are eligible to become an adoptive parent.
- If your family has a previous criminal record, the local police will investigate, and a medical examination will also be conducted.
- You will also require one referee as a relative and two referees other than your relative who are ready to refer you.
- All the reports will be submitted to the adoption panel. If the panel is satisfied, it will recommend your name to the adoption agency to decide whether you are eligible for parenting.
- Once you and the contracted agency are satisfied, they will provide an application form for adoption.
- The application takes 6 months to get approved, and after the approval, a child will be selected for you to adopt.
Legalize baby adoption in the UK
After the child has lived with you for at least 10 weeks, you can apply for an adoption court order, which will legally recognize you as the child’s parent and provide you with all the rights and responsibilities.
If the court grants the order, the child and you get the rights and responsibilities as normal parents and child. You need to buy a certificate of adoption for further evidentiary requirements. You can get the certificate from the General Register Office. This certificate creates a new name for the child and replaces the original birth certificate. You can buy a copy of the certificate by paying £11.
There are other provisions for adopting a child from outside the UK. The provisions contain both requisites and restrictions according to the place from where you want to adopt.
Conclusion
Adoption is a process that provides the family who feels the vacancy of a child in their life with a child to love and care for, and on the other hand, it provides the child with a permanent home and parents who he/she can trust for his/her whole life. These are the legal provisions by which adoption is done. Make sure to go through them before going for the adoption of the Baby.
