Unless you are a close relative
of a child you want to adopt, you will need to go through
an adoption agency. Some agencies - like Barnardo’s
- are voluntary societies; others are part of the local
authority social services or social work department.
If you are thinking about adopting a child and would
like to take things further, you can contact the adoption
agencies directly. There is a list of all the adoption
agencies in BAAF’s booklet, Adopting a child.
You are not limited to your own immediate locality but
most agencies work roughly within a 50 mile radius of
their office. BAAF publish the Be My Parent newspaper
six times a year. It contains photographs and profiles
of children who need families now. Your local agency
will have a copy of Be My Parent or you can buy a subscription
for a year’s issues to be sent to you. You can
respond to children in Be My Parent before you have
approached an agency or been approved as an adoptive
parent.
It takes - several months at
least - for the social workers from the agencies run
preparation groups as well as seeing you on your own.
Confidential enquiries will be made of your local social
services or social work department, the health authority
and the police. You will be examined by your doctor
and be asked to provide two referees. The agency’s
Adoption Panel will consider a report on your application
and recommend that you should be approved as an adopter
or not.
Once you are approved, your
agency will try and match you with a child. You can
also respond to children in Be My Parent and ask your
social worker to refer you to BAAF Link, BAAF’s
nationwide computerised linking service.
Social Work department
Fostering & Adoption Team
Whitlets Area Centre,
Whitlets Road
Ayr
Tel. 01292 267675
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