Can I adopt?

There’s no perfect profile of an adopter. Children need adopters who will care for them throughout their childhood and into adult life.  Children need adoptive parents who will:

• Spend time with them
• Keep them safe
• Care for them when they are ill
• Know when they are unhappy and help them to feel better
• Care about how they are doing in school
• Encourage them in their friendships
• Help them to learn about the world around them
• Teach them how to behave
• Celebrate their achievements and special events
• Love them for who they are

Adoptive parents also need to be able to help their children understand the reasons why they couldn't live in the family they were born into and help them to reclaim their childhood.

We welcome enquiries from people of all ethnic backgrounds, but we're particularly keen to recruit black and dual heritage adopters. The number of black and dual heritage children going into local authority care is increasing each year so black and dual heritage adopters who can provide stable, loving homes are urgently needed.

How to start the adoption process

Adopters' Perspectives

This video is based on contributions shared by adopters giving a first-hand insight into the process.

Types of people who can adopt

• Married couples

• Single people

• Unmarried couples

• Same-sex couples

• Couples in a civil partnership

• Childless people

• People who already have children

• Black people

• White people

• Asian people

• People of dual heritage

• People who practise a religion

• People who don’t practise a religion

• People who are buying or own their own home

• People who rent

• People who work

• People who intend staying at home