Are there any health related restrictions for adopting? Expand It is of course imperative that you can effectively care for the child or children that you adopt, but that doesn't mean that a mental or physical health issue - past or present is a barrier. 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. Our team will be happy 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 A loving and stable home is essential 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, especially adopted children, need stability and routine, and it would be difficult to provide this if your lifestyle, work or future plans meant moving house regularly. Our team would be 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, or even uses e-cigarettes or vapes, and often require adopters to have ceased smoking for a year before being matched with a child. Our team will be 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, and ARC has an excellent track record of efficiently approving adopters. It is a little more difficult however, 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. For some adopters, they can be matched immediately following approval, but for some it takes longer. Our team will be 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 children, can I still adopt? Expand Yes, definitely. We very much 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. Our team would be very 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 it is important that you have completed any fertility treatment and have had time to emotionally recover from it. Our team will sensitively discuss your individual circumstances with you, to ensure you are ready for moving forward with adoption. We would be happy to offer further guidance around this if it would be helpful. 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 Yes absolutely, ARC Adoption welcomes enquiries from single people. Lots of our adopters are single parents who have successfully adopted one or more children. Isabelle didn't know that single people could adopt, but she said it is the best thing she's ever done. ARC Adoption North East has 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 existing family pets, and as long as a 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, and our team will be very 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, and weight, health, and other lifestyle choices will all be discussed with you during the adoption process. The most important factor is your ability to provide a loving home for a child, and our team will be 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, and technically 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. Our team would be 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 all members of the LGBT+ community. It may interest you to know that in 2021, almost 1 in 3 of the adopters approved to adopt by ARC Adoption were in same sex relationships. Watch Jamie and Tom's story below: All LGBT+ parents who adopt through ARC Adoption North East, benefit from our membership to New Family Social, the charity dedicated to LGBT+ adoption and fostering. ARC Adoption North East also has a dedicated support team which offers a variety of support to adopters including social and online peer support, support groups and our 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, absolutely. We welcome enquiries from people in employment. You will be expected to take some time away from work to help your child settle into your home however, and it will be important for you to consider how you can fit your work commitments around the needs of your child, rather than the other way around. Our team will be 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, and 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. The children that wait the longest for a loving and nurturing family are usually older children over the age of four, brothers and sisters who need to stay together, children with disabilities, as well as those from black and ethnic minority 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 to know more about adoption with ARC Adoption North East and the support available, please contact us.