If you're thinking about adopting a child, just remember, there’s no perfect profile of an adopter. Children need adoptive parents who will provide a stable, caring home, love them for who they are and care for them throughout their childhood and into adult life
We take people like you through the entire adoption process. No matter what background, whether you're single, married or in a relationship, already have children or not, and whatever your ethnicity, we'd love to hear from you.
Why Do People Adopt?
Different people have different motivations for looking into adoption as an option for growing their families. Often, infertility issues are an important factor. For other people, adoption is their first choice as a route to parenthood. Some adopters are driven by the desire to provide a safe, loving home for a child or children. In some cases, people looking at adoption will already have children but feel like they would like to grow their family through adoption.
Infertility
Often, people begin looking into adoption after experiencing the pain of infertility. This is quite common, and we understand that most people see having birth children as their first choice for starting or expanding their family. Although this may have been the case for lots and lots of people who have adopted children with us, their family now feels exactly how it’s meant to be, and they couldn’t imagine it any other way.
Some couples may have experienced unsuccessful fertility treatment. Of course, having fertility treatment is not a requirement for starting the adoption process. We do ask though for you to have stopped fertility treatment before starting the adoption process. IVF needs all of your attention – and so does adoption. If you’re still hoping to achieve a successful pregnancy through IVF, you need to focus on this before embarking on the adoption process.
Adoption as a First Choice
Currently, there are many more children in need of new homes than there are approved adopters who could provide them. That means that vulnerable children are waiting longer to be in secure, loving, long-term families.
If you’re inspired by the idea of making a positive difference for a child who has experienced a difficult start in life, then we would love to hear from you.
The children who wait the longest to be adopted are:
- Children aged four and above
- Brothers and sisters who need to stay together
- Children from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds
- Children with additional needs
We’ll always welcome enquiries from anyone who wants to find out more about adoption, but if you could consider adopting children from any of the categories above, we’re especially keen to hear from you.
You may be a heterosexual couple, an LGBTQ+ couple, or a single person. Whatever your situation, we can help you.
LGBTQ+ Adoption
In 2023, one in five adoptions in England were to same-sex couples. Whether you're in a couple of single, we have helped hundreds of LGBTQ+ people become parents through adoption. You may have experienced the heartache of infertility, come to adoption as your first choice, or already have children. Whatever the reason you're now considering adoption, we'll be delighted to hear from you.
People who Already have Children
We work with lots of people who already have children and have decided to expand their family through adoption. This includes:
- People with older or grown-up children who feel that they would like to parent younger children again
- People who have children from a previous relationship and would like to start a family with their new partner
- People who have already adopted
- People with stepchildren
Gaining childcare experience is important for all potential adopters, and people who already have children will be able to demonstrate this.
Your children’s needs and their attitude to your adoption plans would be considered during the assessment. This includes the views of your children who live with you, as well as those who live with a previous partner, and adult children who have grown up and live independently. It’s also usual that children placed for adoption will be younger than any children already in the family.
One of the Most Rewarding Things you Could Ever Do
It doesn’t matter which of these motivations has brought you here, or whether it’s something different. The important thing is that you’re considering doing something wonderful. Adoption is one of the most rewarding things you could ever do, and we at Adoption Focus are here to support you throughout the whole journey.
And don’t forget, if you have any questions at all about whether adoption is right for you, you can contact us anytime. We'll answer your questions professionally and supportively.
Our Adopters' Blogs
Find out more about other people who've adopted from our adopters' blogs. There are posts on all aspects of the adoption process, from choosing your agency, to preparation training, family finding, and life as a parent of adopted children, from people like you who have adopted children.
