Now, it is important to know there is a chance you may not locate them. In my youngest son’s case, his biological mother did not know who the biological father was because at the time she was a prostitute, so there is no biological father listed on his birth certificate. It is also important to understand that depending on the reason as to why you were taken into protective custody, that your biological parents may not be living in the same area anymore, or they may have passed away.

Your Search

I took to Google to try and find the best website that can aid you in your search.  The website I found that has the best information is on this website. Here, this website goes step by step on how to register yourself in the UK adoption contact register. The great thing about registering yourself is it gives all possible family members the opportunity to locate you. It also gives you access to their registry to search for family members yourself.

To apply, you must know your birth name, birth date, be at least 18 years of age, and at least the name of your biological mother. This website also can help you access your birth records. There is a fee (£15) to register yourself to connect with your family members. Being able to access you birth records may also assist in finding siblings or extended family if you are unable to get in contact with your birth parents.

Another option if you are unable to connect with you birth parents is doing DNA testing. This can determine your heritage. For a lot of children that were adopted, they just want to be in touch with their culture. This helps to connect with their roots. If this is the case, then you can look into genetic testing. There are plenty of companies out there that you can search, but one of the most popular is 23andMe. For younger children or babies who don’t know how to spit into a test tube, there is Ancestry DNA and/or My Heritage. These companies use a mouth swab to collect the specimen.

I hope that this information helps guide you on your journey in finding your birth parents, finding siblings, finding family members, or figuring out your heritage.

Jade Carterette

The post How To Find My Birth Parents In The UK appeared first on UK Adoption | Adopt a Baby, Private, Forum, Process, Centre.

According to this website, the order in which you complete the UK adoption process is slightly different than in the US. The biggest difference is in the time it takes to become qualified to adopt. There are five stages to their adoption process.

To start, an individual will go through the pre-stage one process and that is about exploration. The meeting is about reading background information and hearing from seasoned adoptive parents. Think of this as adoption orientation. During this time you are also starting to find an agency near your postcode that you are comfortable with. It is good to check out multiple agencies and see which one fits your family the best.

The Four Stages

The next stage in the process is stage one. Once you have found your agency then you will start the formal evaluation process. This includes background checks and providing references. This process should not take longer than two months.

Stage two seems to be the bulk of time in the adoption process. This is also the part of the process that gets a bit personal. Your family will be assigned a social worker out of the agency you choose. Your social worker is going to work on assessing your family’s strengths and getting personal background information to make a report to submit to the adoption panel. This stage takes about four months and is fairly in depth.

The next stage is stage three, this is where things start to get exciting. Your family’s profile will go up against the prospective adoptive children’s profiles to be matched. Your adoption agency will work with local authorities to match your family with the right child or sibling group. The main topic that is discussed is if the child/children’s suitability with your family. The matching panel makes the final decision in this process.

The final and the most exciting stage in my own opinion is stage four. This stage includes meeting the child/children with your social worker. I will never forget the time I met all of my children and the time I got to spend with them. You get to know each other’s personalities and see if you mesh well together. According to the website, there will be a series of visits and short stays before move-in day. After an undisclosed amount of time, you can apply to become their legal parents.

Final  Thoughts

According to this website, there are about 4,000 children waiting to be adopted, but few babies. Most children have been taken into care because they can no longer live with their birth parents due to abuse/neglect. Most of the children in care are older, sibling groups, or disabled. This site has a list of who qualifies as a prospective adoptive family before you decide to apply to start the process.

Both websites have contact information to help guide you in the right direction. Adoption was the best thing that ever happened to my family and the difference you can make in a child’s life is amazing. If you have space and the love to give, I highly encourage you to adopt.

You can find more information here and here about UK adoption.

Jade Carterette

If you are considering international adoption, visit Adoption.com/international to find more guidance on how to begin.

The post UK Adoption: How To Adopt A Child appeared first on UK Adoption | Adopt a Baby, Private, Forum, Process, Centre.