Child Adoption: Early Stages Of Adoption - GOV.UK

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1. Home
2. Childcare and parenting
3. Fostering, adoption and surrogacy

Child adoption Skip contents

Contents

1. Overview
2. Early stages of adoption
3. Adoption assessment
4. Applying for an adoption court order
5. Adopting a stepchild
6. Adopting a child from overseas
7. Birth parents: your rights

Early stages of adoption

To adopt a child you can go through either:

• an adoption agency that’s part of your local council
• a voluntary adoption agency

The adoption process

1. Contact an adoption agency - they’ll send you information about the adoption process.

2. The agency will arrange to meet you - you may also be invited to a meeting with other people wanting to adopt a child.

3. If you and the agency agree to carry on, the agency will give you an application form.

The adoption approval process normally takes around 6 months. You will then be matched with a child for adoption.

Previous:Overview Next:Adoption assessment View a printable version of the whole guide

Related content

• Adoption records
• Apply to adopt a child through your council
• Becoming a foster parent in England

Collection

• Support for British nationals abroad

Explore the topic

• Having a child, parenting and adoption
• Fostering, adoption and surrogacy

Elsewhere on the web

• Find a voluntary adoption agency
• Adoption information in England
• Adoption information in Scotland
• Adoption information in Wales
• Adoption information in Northern Ireland

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