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Adoption

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on adoption.

Beginning a step parent adoption

1 reply

Freckles1987 · 01/05/2020 21:07

Hi everyone, I'm hoping you can help advise me if you've been through one or are going through one. I'm anxious, and I cannot put it to the back of my mind.

I'll give you my back story and then where I'm at right now.

I met my husband when I was 19. I was homeless due to arguing at home and 6 months pregnant. My husband looked after me, and the baby and we got married shortly after he was born. We were advised to put hubby on his birth certificate so that's what we did (although we are now aware that we weren't supposed to do so) we offered his biological father visitation right from the get go but he didn't want to know. So we went through csa for child support and dispite him disputing parentage he never showed up to any of the several dna tests they organised.

In 2019 he finally took a dna test (son now 11 at this point) and we find out he isn't his biological father. So we test the only other person that is possible and it comes back he is his biological father.

I will add here dates were screwed because I found out I was pregnant at 21 weeks, and then he was born early so hospitals had 2/3 different due date ideas.

So anyway this chap finds out he's a dad 11 years later, and is happy to leave things as they are and have no involvement. Cms push child support and won't let me cancel the claim so he takes me to court for visitation dispite agreeing it's not in his best interests (son is autistic and didn't know hubby wasn't his dad)

So went through court and he got letter contact as a friend for 8 months until he went through his Sat's. Then at the follow up court date he didn't show. Court called us in as an emergency the following week where he withdraw from court stating that he thought no contact would be in our sons best interest and he thought it was best to allow hubby to adopt him since he has always been his parent. So court was withdrawn almost a year ago.

We made him aware we would be waiting a short while as ds was about to start high school so already had some ginormous changes coming his way. At Christmas his biological dad asked again if we had started it. We hadn't, I explained 4 months to settle an autistic child into a new school was nothing and we would get round to it.

Then corona virus happened so he's been out of school which has caused grave upset, then we're going to have to settle him back in.

My main cause for concern is, he just wants his life to remain as it is. He's said this since he was told and we understand why and respect that. But I'm concerned the adoption process will cause him more anxiety and stress?

Could anyone who has been through it tell me what they do with the kids? What will they expect of us? Are we basically going to get grilled alive by the social worker doing the reports? It's causing me grave anxiety, and then more thinking of how anxious its going to make him too.

So some reassurance as to the whole process would be majorly appreciated. His biological dad is going to agree to it, so at the very least we don't have that argument.

Thank you - sorry it's so long 😂

OP posts:
Ted27 · 01/05/2020 23:09

Social workers won't grill you alive. They have to make sure that the adoption is in the child's best interests, but they will be sensitive to the needs of your son.
Don't tie yourself up in knots trying to explain or justify your life. You have a long term stable relationship, your son sees your husband as his dad, which he is. SWs would have no interest in upsetting that in any way. There's really no need for your son to get involved in any processes. You need to explain to him that nothing is going to change and something along the lines of you just need a special paper from the judge so dad can be his legal dad. He doesnt have to go to court or do anything that will scare him. You could try and turn it into something very positive for him - this is how much dad loves you and wants to be your dad forever.
You will fine, good luck.

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