The Adoption Process: U.K. Versus U.S.

Private Versus Public Adoption Agencies

In the United States, private adoption agencies are prevalent (although you can also adopt through public agencies that are operated by the state). However, the use of private agencies is not even an option in the United Kingdom, where adoptions are always facilitated by either a local agency (click here to find the agency affiliated with your local council) or a voluntary adoption agency (an independent organization typically run by a charity).

The Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies (CVAA) defines a voluntary adoption agency (VAA) as “an organization that recruits, assesses, and approves families for children for whom adoption is the plan. They also work with local authorities to match, place and support children with prospective adopters.” VAAs are independent, nonprofit organizations that provide lifelong support to all members of the adoption triad, and they operate across regional and national boundaries (i.e., across the entire U.K.). VAAs specialize in placing children with special needs (known in the U.K. as priority children). There are 34 agencies in all, and they serve Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and every region of England.

The U.K. Adoption Process in a Nutshell

If you’re at least 21, you can apply to adopt a child through one of the two types of agencies discussed above. You must be able to show proof that you can provide a permanent, stable, and caring home. You contact the agency, and they send you information. The agency arranges to meet you, and you may also be invited to meet with others who are also interested in forming their families through adoption. If you and the agency agree that you’d like to work together, they give you an application. In order to proceed, you as an adoptive parent or parents must be approved by the agency to which you apply—and all domestic adoptions go through the state. Approval takes about 6 months, at which time you are typically matched with a child.

The Financial End of Adoption in the U.K.

Although private adoption expenses for families in the U.S. can run anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000, this is not the case for adoptions in the U.K. (remember, there are no private agencies in the U.K.). Similar to domestic adoptions in the U.S. (which also go through the state and cost very little), U.K. adoptions cost nearly nothing. It’s mainly just a small court fee for the adoption application.

The Procedural End of Adoption in the U.K.

Foster-to-Adopt in the U.K.

This is a relatively new concept that the U.K. is just beginning to embrace. What we in the U.S. refer to as “foster-to-adopt” or “fostering for adoption” is known as “dual approval” or “early permanence” in the U.K. This type of adoption is still very much in development. Only a few agencies even offer this option to their applicant families. First4Adoption, an impartial, nonpartisan national information service for people interested in adopting a child in England, defines early permanence as a situation in which “children may be placed in their home at the earliest opportunity by being placed with adopters who are also approved as foster carers, who initially foster the child and may become their adopters once the court proceedings have been concluded.” If dual approval (early permanence) is not present, then a family who is seeking to adopt a child they’ve been fostering needs to be reassessed and reapproved before petitioning the courts in the U.K. to adopt that child.

For more information on the adoption process in the U.K., see the following websites:

• http://www.cvaa.org.uk/
• http://www.first4adoption.org.uk/
• http://foster-care-newsletter.com/us-vs-uk-international-differences-in-fostering-and-adoption/#.W0NhGtJKgU-

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• improve relationships with friends, family members, teachers and school staff
• improve engagement with learning
• improve emotional regulation and behavior management
• improve confidence and ability to enjoy a positive family life and social relationships

Families are given access to this fund if they meet these criteria:

• A family has children up to and including the age of 21 or 25 and have a SEN Statement or ECH Plan
• The child has been adopted from local authority care in England or have been adopted from Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, but are living in England. 
• An assessment of the families’ adoption support need was made by a local authority. Families have the right to request an assessment; the local authority is required by law to assess. It is the responsibility of the local authority to assess for adoption support needs for three years after the adoption order is complete. After the first three years, it is the responsibility of the local authority where you live if it is different.

After April 1, 2016, the fund became available for children after being placed in England and for special guardians who care for children who were looked after immediately prior to the special guardianship order.

According to familylives.org.uk, “A special guardianship order is an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s ‘special guardian.’ It is a private law order made under the Children Act 1989 and is intended for those children who cannot live with their birth parents and who would benefit from a legally secure placement.”

The social worker should talk to you about who can provide the types of service that you need and will recommend a provider. This could be an NHS provider, the local authority itself, a nearby local authority, or an independent provider. Local authorities are able to submit applications for funding before an adoption order so that any package of support from the time of placement can be continued once the adoption order is made. In 2016 and  2017, the fund was being extended to include packages of work that take place prior to the adoption order being made.

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1. The United Kingdom is a Hague Convention country meaning that any child placed for adoption is limited to first– or second–level, biological relatives. This means that children must be adopted by grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Under the United Kingdom law, other adoptive placements are currently allowed. If you are a United States citizen seeking to adopt from the United Kingdom, you must be a biological relative of the child.
2. Just like any other international adoption, you must travel to the country before you can adopt a child. As a pre-adoptive family, you will have to make an initial visit to the United Kingdom so that the social worker can verify the family commitment to the adoption. In the United Kingdom, a 10-week bonding period is required. Part of this will be spent in the United Kingdom and part of it will be spent in the United States. You may transport the child, or the child may be transported by the social worker. You will make a final visit to the United Kingdom to attend the court hearing to complete the adoption. Upon arrival, you will file the child’s paperwork at the United States embassy and obtain the child’s immigrant Visa. Once the child has arrived in the United States, he/she will automatically become a United States citizen. Your child will receive a certificate of United States citizenship a few weeks later. 
3. The total cost of an adoption in the United Kingdom is about $6,000; however, as the adoptive family, your costs are minimal. In most cases, the United Kingdom council will cover most of the expenses. You may have to pay for the cost of an agency if you choose to go through an agency. A great agency to work with is Nightlight Christian Adoptions. To learn more, visit www.nightlight.org

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