Are there any restrictions about my health? Expand Mental and physical health and well being are not barriers to adoption provided you can care for the children you adopt. During the adoption process you will be asked to arrange a full medical which will be carried out by your GP and advice will be sought from our medical advisor regarding any issues raised. Members of the ARC Adoption North East team are happy to talk to you and offer further guidance around this. If you would like to know more about adoption and starting the adoption process with ARC Adoption North East and the support available, please contact us.
Can I adopt if I live in rented accommodation? Expand Yes you can adopt if you live in rented accommodation. A loving and stable home is essential particularly for adopted children, but you don't have to own your own home, you can live in rented accommodation. A possible concern would be if potential adopters live in rented accommodation because they move around a lot. Children need stability and routine. Constantly moving house would mean that it would be a lot more difficult to provide this stability and routine. The team at ARC Adoption North East are happy to talk to you and offer further guidance around this. If you would like to know more about adoption and starting the adoption process with ARC Adoption North East and the support available, please contact us.
Can I adopt if I smoke? Expand If you are a smoker you would be expected to take active steps to stop smoking. The majority of Local Authorities will not place children under the age of five years old in a household where anyone smokes, even if you use e-cigarettes, and often require adopters to have ceased smoking for a year before being matched with a child. The team at ARC Adoption North East are happy to talk to you and offer further guidance around this. If you would like to know more about adoption and starting the adoption process with ARC Adoption North East and the support available, please contact us.
How long does the UK adoption process take? Expand The adoption process usually takes no longer than six months for you to become approved as an adoptive parent. However, it is impossible to predict how long it will take to have a child placed with you because it is important to identify the right match for your family. The team at ARC Adoption North East are happy to talk to you and offer further guidance around this. If you would like to know more about adoption and starting the adoption process with ARC Adoption North East and the support available, please contact us.
I already have kids, can I still adopt? Expand Yes. We welcome enquiries from people who are already parents. Part of the adoption process will include looking at the effects a placement will have on your current children. Some adopted children would thrive by having a sibling. The team at ARC Adoption North East are happy to talk to you and offer further guidance around this. If you would like to know more about adoption and starting the adoption process with ARC Adoption North East and the support available, please contact us.
I am having fertility treatment, can I adopt? Expand In order to begin the adoption process you would need to have completed your fertility treatment, however we would discuss your individual circumstances with you. The team at ARC Adoption North East are happy to talk to you and offer further guidance around this. If you would like to know more about adoption and starting the adoption process with ARC Adoption North East and the support available, please contact us.
I am single, can I adopt? Expand ARC Adoption North East welcome all types of adopters, including single adopters, many of which have successfully adopted. ARC Adoption North East have a dedicated support team which offers a variety of support to adopters including social and online peer support, support groups and a Buddy service. If you would like to know more about adoption with ARC Adoption North East and the support available, please contact us.
I have pets – can I adopt? Expand Many children thrive in a home that has pets and provided your pet does not pose a threat to a child’s health or safety then it will not prevent you from adopting. You will be asked to complete a pet questionnaire as part of the assessment process. The team at ARC Adoption North East are happy to talk to you and offer further guidance around this. If you would like to know more about adoption and starting the adoption process with ARC Adoption North East and the support available, please contact us.
Is being overweight a barrier to my being accepted as an adopter? Expand Adopters come in all different shapes and sizes. Weight, health, alongside lifestyle choices, are discussed with you during the adoption process. The most important factor is your ability to provide a loving home for a child. The team at ARC Adoption North East are happy to talk to you and offer further guidance around this. If you would like to know more about adoption and starting the adoption process with ARC Adoption North East and the support available, please contact us.
Is there an age limit? Expand The minimum age to be eligible to adopt is 21 years old. There is no upper age limit to adopt a child although you need to have the potential to care for the child through to adulthood. The team at ARC Adoption North East are happy to talk to you and offer further guidance around this. If you would like to know more about adoption and starting the adoption process with ARC Adoption North East and the support available, please contact us.
We are a same sex couple, can we adopt? Expand Yes of course, At ARC Adoption North East we welcome enquiries from all types of adopters, including same sex adopters and members of the LGBT+ community. Many Same Sex adopters have chosen to adopt through ARC Adoption North East. ARC Adoption North East also provides adopters with membership to New Family Social ARC Adoption North East have a dedicated support team which offers a variety of support to adopters including social and online peer support, support groups and a Buddy service. If you would like to know more about adoption with ARC Adoption North East and the support available, please contact us.
We both work, can we still adopt? Expand Yes. We welcome enquiries from people in employment. You will be expected to to take some time away from work to help your child settle into your home. It is important is that you remain flexible and fit your work commitments around the needs of your child and not the other way around. The team at ARC Adoption North East are happy to talk to you and offer further guidance around this. If you would like to know more about adoption and starting the adoption process with ARC Adoption North East and the support available, please contact us.
What sort of children need to be adopted? Expand There are thousands of children in the UK that are in need of loving and nurturing families, many of these children are of different ages and come from very different backgrounds. Almost every looked after child (a child who is in care) today will have been removed from their parents as opposed to being voluntarily relinquished. Those children that wait the longest for a loving and nurturing family are usually older children over the age of four and brothers and sisters. Children who are looked after come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Children may have a variety of behavioural and emotional issues due to their early life experiences, which may include some degree of attachment difficulties. This is something that adopters will learn about during training as they progress through the adoption process. If you are considering adopting a baby there are different options available to you, such as Fostering for Adoption. If you would like more information about this a member of ARC Adoption North East team are happy to talk to you and offer further guidance around the Fostering for Adoption route. If you would like to know more about adoption with ARC Adoption North East and the support available, please contact us.