Deciding to adopt is a huge step and chances are if you've found your way to this page you've been thinking about it for some time. You're right to get as much information as you can and talk to as many people as possible before deciding if adoption is right for you.
In Essex we believe that where adoption is concerned, the welfare of the child comes before everything else. Putting the child first is one of the important messages of the Adoption and Children Act 2002. This is behind everything we do, every question we ask and every form we ask you to fill in. We'll prioritise applications according to the needs of children waiting for adoption.
Sometimes, adopters are surprised to learn that we've never had blanket bans on who can and who can't adopt - again, something the act makes clear. We're interested in whether you can offer a child a safe and stable family life. There are many different kinds of families and we hope many people, such as unmarried, or same sex couples, will now feel more confident in making enquiries about adoption.
In this section, we'll explain what Essex expects of people who apply to adopt, tell you more about the kinds of children who need new families and explain what support you'll get if you adopt a child from Essex.
We thought you might like to hear from people who've adopted through the Essex Adoption Service
so view the video to hear from a couple who adopted a girl and boy aged 6 and 4, the adoptive mother from a couple who adopted 2 very young children of Indian origin, a couple who adopted a boy of 7 and a single adopter of a 5 year old girl.
What does Essex expect of its adopters?
We want you to bear in mind that ...
You don't have to be 'perfect'
Many of our adopters have been thinking about adoption for many years before they contact us. They feel because they're not 'perfect' they will be turned away. But because children are individuals, the 'perfect' adopter for one child may be the wrong adopter for another.
We aren't looking for perfect people who have never experienced difficulties in life. People who have faced and worked through problems are often stronger for the experience. We welcome your enquiry.
We are finding homes for children, not children for homes.
We value and respect adopters who want to create a permanent, loving family for a child. But we want to make it clear from the very start that it's the child's welfare, safety and needs which are at the centre of the adoption process.
Because of this, becoming an adopter involves checks, form filling and lots of thinking and reflection. We need adopters who can consider children from a wide age range ideally from 36 months to seven years.
We'll give priority to certain adopters
We place children of all ages and many need a new home with their brothers or sisters. We need adopters from ethnic minority communities and also adopters who will consider taking a child with special needs.
We don't want to create false expectations, so we will not consider applicants who are ONLY interested in adopting young white children with uncomplicated backgrounds. The kinds of adopters we need depends on the children referred to us, and this will change over time. Keep an open mind as you find out more - the process of becoming an adopter may help you discover strengths and talents you never knew you had.
Most of the following information is for people who want to find out about adopting a child who can't live with his or her birth family. We can also advise about adopting a step-child or other relative, or about adopting from overseas.