Adoption process

[wiggles]

can anyone give me advice - we are just starting out, finding it grilling already - so intrusive - be worth it in the end tho!

What sort of advice wiggles?
You have to be married about a year and AFAIK, the way the law stands, both the natural parent and the step parent have to adopt, which means you have to surrender the birth certificate and are given a certificate of adoption instead

You can enlist a solicitor but its not necessary. Social services visit and interview and do the security checks that they would with any adoption, and then present to the magistrates who make a decision - with step parent adoption where the other natural parent doesn't contest it, its usually a yes

hope this helps
Tilly

This is something dh and I will do in the near future. Do I really have to surrender the original birth certificates, and what will the new ones say??

hi thanks for your replies, we've been married for the right time and just starting the process but the problem Im facing is that adoption is my first choice and not to have a birth child. Social services are diggin deep and believe this may be a problem, we have a wonderful home & loads of love and a step son to offer to a school child and im upset that because i have made this decision

Hang on in there wiggles. There are thousands of children waiting for an adoptive family, especially older children with brothers and sisters who need a family with them. It is so sad when they have to be seperated because there are not enough adopters.
Social services have to scrutinise; they'll soon get slagged off and a child would suffer if they do a shoddy job and place a child with people who are not safe or who do not have the strength and support to care for them.
I hope you get approved and give a child a good home.
If you get far enough, good SSDs do training/ preperation where you would meet other adopters who are going through the same thing.

I and DP have discussed adoption but the finances would be stretched. Is there help financially for those who adopt?

It used to be at the discretion of your ssd, although a new adoption act has just come in which may have changed things. There is usually a setting up allowance but your officer would have to make a case for a time limited ongoing allowance. Talk to your worker about it.

thks cornflake