How long does the UK adoption process take?

[Emmah120595]

Have always loved to adopt, just wondering how long it usually takes?

ours took 3 years, I think it varies a lot.

9 months from the beginning of stage one to bringing lo home.

2.5 years from first enquiery to bringing them home.

From starting stage 1 to bringing LO home it was 18 months (through lockdown so some delays with courts etc)

There’s no U.K. wide process, each of the 4 nations have their own process and timescales. Ours was very long for various reasons outside of anyone’s control but the usual where I am is around 18 months.

It partly depends on where you are, which age range you're considering etc. - lots of factors, really.

We first got in touch with an adoption agency almost 5 years ago, then had to wait a year for our birth child to turn two before we were allowed to enquire. Nothing went fast from there - we're now 4 years on and haven't been linked with a child yet. However, we're looking to adopt a child no older than two years and we have a birth child, both of which mean things taking longer.

We were a year and that seems typical for my LA.

It varies. It is something like this (order of things has changed since we did it)

1 Go to an information evening and apply.
<wait>
2 Get all checks done, and go to preparation course and apply.
<wait>
3 They accept you as potential adopters, clock starts ticking
4 Homestudy
5 Approval panel
<wait until the right children come up, could be 2 days or 2 years>
6 Meeting medical people, foster carers etc
7 Matching panel
8 Introductions
9 moving in
10 apply to adopt when SWs happy
<wait>
11 Court

(15 years since moving in this month)

We're England and from first contact with agency to bringing children home was just 1 year. But we were very lucky and had a fabulous social worker and were matched very quickly due to the child criteria we had given (older siblings) - was very much a case of right time right place for us

Very varied you'll find and take any quoted claims from agencies that it's a '6m' process with a large pinch of salt (you'll learn they're v creative with how they define that!). If I discount about 3ms attributable to a broken link, it would have taken us about 15 months. When ppl ask I always recommend ppl brace themselves realistically for about an 18m process and then if it happens earlier it'll be a pleasant surprise

I should also add that whilst you may not feel this could be the case at the beginning of the process, there are in fact plenty of junctions in the process where you may find yourself wanting a break for your own wellbeing so it's not always agency led that there are delays

We adopted 5 years ago and 2 years ago. First time took 8 months and matched before approval panel. 2nd time took about 8 months again and matched within 3 months of approval.