Why so many Adoption agencies? It's confusing!

[EmmaD2]

Hi there!, My husband and I have decided we'd like to adopt and have contacted our local council for more information, but what i don't understand is why are there so many adoption agencies? How do i know who to contact? Isn't it up to the local authorities if a child needs re-homing? so how does it become the responsibility of the private adoption agencies? There are just so many that it's confusing me!

I thnk it depends what you are looking for. It is my understanding that agencies get the children that the LA cannot place. If you are hoping for a baby then you would probably have more luck with the LA. However sometimes agencies are less 'fussy' than the LA.
That's just my understanding though x

Your first step is to contact your Local Authority (or sometimes a neighbouring one, as they don't always like to place within the same borough), have a chat, and ask if they have an information evening you can attend.
Voluntary organisations generally deal with harder to place children. They're not really 'private' though - they're charities, and no money exchanges hands with adopters.

Thanks Kazza, interesting. We're looking for a school aged child or siblings, so maybe its worth approaching somewhere else first do you think? Perhaps i should look at the options in my area.

That's what i meant by 'private', but perhaps that was the wrong word to use. Voluntary organisations is what i meant, thanks.
Yes, its definitely worth going to the information evening first. We're at the very beginning of a journey!

Good luck Emma and I hope you find an agency that suits you. They should be able to tell you what, if anything, they can offer in terms of training and post adoption support. This may not be your main concern yet but may be important later.

Just for the record, because you may offend someone or surprise an agency if you use this term, 're-homing' is for pets, adoption or fostering etc for people.

And I think Kazza is correct, voluntary agencies have the opportunity to find adoptive families for children who local authorities or county councils cannot place, so these would be harder to place children (older children and sibling groups).

As you are interested in school aged child/ren you would probably find many agencies interested in you so you can afford to look around and ask lots of questions, e.g. neighbouring authorities too.

Oh god! Thank you! I'm all new to this and you're right I don't want to offend anyone! As you may have guessed my only experience at adopting so far is infact 2 cats from the RSPCA!
Thanks for all your advice and help deciphering these things!

If i were you I'd speak to your la as well as your surrounding ones along with any voluntary agencies there are.
La have children so even if you are considering older children or siblings it is still them that are looking for adopters.
When adopters are found for a child from a different agency whether that's another la or a va the la with a child pay the adopters agency for them.

Voluntary agencies sometimes have really good long term support services in place that some local authorities cant afford to have in the current financial climate. First4adoption website gives general info covering voluntary agencies and local authority so might be a good starting point x

Thanks Alpha100 I will have a read through the website.

Jameme, Hello! oh my goodness! that will be the biggest decision to ever make. Do the adoption agencies not match you with a child/children who they think would be suitable then? I assumed that would be the case and not just a list of children to pick one from!

Ok, thanks Jameme. I guess sit tight and see what happens!