Could you adopt with Birmingham?
- Contact Birmingham Adoption and Fostering: 0121 303 7575
This page is known as: www.birmingham.gov.uk/adoption
At any one time Birmingham City Council is responsible for about 2000 'looked after' children. The Adoption Service is responsible for finding some of these children a stable, secure and caring new home that suits their needs.
People who adopt come from all walks of life and each applicant has something unique and special to offer.
When you adopt, the child becomes a legal member of your family as if she or he had been born to you. Once an Adoption Order is made it cannot be revoked, and the child birth parents have no legal rights or parental responsibility from that point onwards.
The backgrounds of children who need to be adopted
In the UK, all children in need of adoption are in the care of local authorities all of them living in temporary foster care. The children vary in age from young babies to children of about 10 years, and are of many ethnic origins, including a high proportion of mixed heritage children (those whose parents are from different ethnic backgrounds). Most of these children have suffered emotional, sexual, psychological or physical abuse, or have been neglected. A significant number have some kind of medical condition or disability . Some may have been given-up by their parents. Others will have been removed from their parents, through a court process, because they have not been given appropriate care. All will therefore have suffered some form of loss. We can assist you to understand this and the needs of such children.Life stories: every child needs to know her / his history
All adopted children need to know their origins, and should have a Life Story Book to help them understand what has happened, and retain a connection with their roots. In most cases there is some form of contact after adoption (either direct or indirect through exchange of letters) with their birth family, and possibly with former foster carers.Adoption agencies: why people choose to work directly with Birmingham
Before you can adopt, you must be approved by an adoption agency. This may be the local Council (for example, Birmingham City Council) which has children waiting in its care or an independent voluntary adoption agency. Voluntary agencies can approve you as suitable candidate(s), but they have no children to place and will need to approach local Councils on your behalf to try to find a suitable child for you.Birmingham Adoption Service also deals with adoption by relatives, step-parents and intercountry adoption.
Contact Birmingham Adoption and Fostering Service.