Adoption agencies

[Sojii]

I'm trying to choose an adoption agency. Does anyone have advice on what to look for? Do we have to pick a local one and do they all ask the same things? I've spoken to a few but don't know what to look for.

You can pick any agency within a 35 mile radius. Either Local Authority or a voluntary agency.
We looked at how long they take to assess. How many children they had under their care and the age of those children (Had to adopt very young as have a birth child that was 3 when we started the process). We also went to an "open evening" and liked what we saw. The social workers were friendly and we were comfortable with them.

Where is the 35 mile radius from, out of interest? I haven't heard that before, and as someone living rurally, find it interesting.

As lucky says, the age and numbers of children they have coming up for adoption is the important one. As is breakdown rate.

Other than that, it's a question of vibe, I think. Whether you feel like you could work with them.

I have been to both an LA and voluntary adoption information day. Both are similar but the number of access to children varies with LA. LA tend to only start stage 1 if they really need you, due to the cost of investment in you. Theses days younger children are starting to go through the fostering to adopt route. Really depends on the age you want.

Stick with the LA if you can, OP.

I get the impression that they get access to all children requiring adoption across a huge geography, agencies often specialise in areas (e.g. physical or LD) or end up wth the children the LA can't place, or select potential adopters that will match their caseload. So if you want a wide net, LA is the way to go.

Don't expect the vetting process to be easy, it's highly intrusive. Also read as much as you can, so you know what to expect. Adopted children come with many traumas that birth children don't, regardless of how young they were when separated from their birth parents.

This is from someone who has had a very hard lesson in the last year

I have had a very good experience with a VA, and find the LA DS was placed by to be useless. The VA support has saved our family.

There are many threads already on the LA vs VA question.

If anything, VA gives a "wider net", I'd say. LAs are going to try and place their own children with you, sometimes whether it's for the best or not! (I have some friends that I feel have been shafted by their LA in terms of children placed and when.)

I'm starting to get the hang of what agencies do what . I guess for home visits the agencies want to be reasonably close. Thank you so much for the advice everyone.

Hi
I am looking at starting adoption process. Anyone can suggest VA that you can recommend from London. If anyone had good experience through the whole process.

Thanks

Hi rosy2017 have a look on the first4adoption website there's a choice of VA's on there. It will give you a bit of background of what they do. I went to both a VA and LA meeting and decided to go for LA.