Closed infant adoption in UK

[Star555]

Not planning to adopt right now, but just looking ahead a few years...I am interested in eventually adopting an infant locally in the UK (don't want to deal with bureaucracy, language barriers, and high cost of international adoption). Ideally a baby as young as possible (newborn is fine), definitely not over 2-3 years old at the time of bringing the child home. Would like a 100% closed adoption -- deceased/unknown/totally out of the picture birth parent(s) having absolutely no contact with the child. The child should be so young that they wouldn't remember life before adoption.

Is this common, or are most local UK adoptions for older children and open to birth parent contact? How likely is an application for my case to be successfully matched with a baby for closed adoption in a reasonable time (post-Covid of course) ? (Assume that all other factors like my job and health are stable and approved to adopt. I might consider adopting as a single parent or with a partner.)

I'm wondering if OP realises that in the UK, adopted children have the right (at age 18) to obtain their original birth certificate, with details of their birth parents, and access to the original adoption case file. In such a small and regulated nation it can be relatively easy to then trace the BP's or other birth family and make contact (if both parties wish).

It seems that what you are looking for is a baby to be created just for you without the pesky and “icky” pregnancy and without having to spend too much money. Rather than giving a home to a traumatised child that needs it. For that reason I really, really hope you abandon this idea because I cannot tell you how bad this outlook would be for a child. Oh and, if you think international adoptees have no issues with being ripped from their family, homeland and culture and being shoved into a home as a perfect “blank slate” child and never knowing where or who they have come from then you have never read anything written by an adoptee.

OP, adoption is not for you.

OP, the adoption process in the UK is very intrusive and the mandatory training has a huge focus on trauma, attachment and your ability to understand and accept the history the child. It is not about the needs and wants of the prospective adoptive parents, its all about (and rightly so) the needs and wants of the child, and if you can't accept that then adoption really is not for you, and with the attitude of I want, I want....I really dont think you would be approved to adopt.

We adopted in the US while we were living there. (I think you have to be a US citizen) We were foster parents for a few years beforehand.
Our child came to us as a foster/adopt baby, so if the family didn't have her back, we would be her adoptive family.
It is a closed adoption, which is also not that common in the US anymore. But her mother chose not to have any contact not even a letter each year. So the Judge who didn't mess about or stand for nonsense closed it completly.
You have to still have homsestudies, and do the classes but from what I've heard of the same thing in UK. We met and made friends with a lot of lovely foster and adopt familes in the classes and it was a great source of knowledge. We were part of an fostercare agency, or you can go direct to the state adoptions.
The US process seemed more open and easier/friendlier. If you get your US citizenship consider doing the adoption there. Then getting your child dual nationality before you move back if you decide to move back.