International adoption and the UK?

Question

This wont affect me for some years yet, as I plan on getting married first. But how diffectult is it to adopt a child from abroad into the UK? Did anyone who has had to fight for it? How did other people react? I've looked on BAAF and all the other UK adoption websites for information, and they give very little, as they want you to adopt from the UK, which I dont want to do. (since Ive always been drawn to international adoption for various reasons, not because theres anything wrong with out kids!). Ive even tried emailing to find out more, but they skirted the question, as "it didn't matter because I don't plan on adopting right now". That really annoyed me. Thanks!

Answer 1

Why do you want to adopt ? Can you not have your own baby ?

Are you engaged ?

When are you getting married

Really you should be thinking about your wedding and honeymoon and NOT worrying about adopting a baby.

I think they are completely right not to answer you at this stage, they are so under the pump with people who have adopted, want to adopt, past adoptions that their resources are already stretched without attending to someone who *may* want to adopt sometime in the future.

Live life , enjoy your fiance, and your wedding and honeymoon THEN talk about it

Answer 2

Hi, while I think what your doing is wonderful there are thousands of children in the UK that need loving homes but for some reason you dont want to help those children

here's a website that should help you

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Adop...

Answer 3

The UK quite rightly wants the kids in foster care adopted.  If you do go for an international adoption the UK has to be entirely satisfied that a home cannot be found for that child in their country of origin.

This is as it should be.  Adoption is not about what adopters want; it is about finding homes for children who need them.

Answer 4

When people talk about adopting foreign kids like this--it's always strikes me as a fetish.

What niche do you expect this kid to fill for you?  I think you ought to reexamine your 'reasons'.  Please do some reading about adoption:

http://www.nancyverrier.com/pos.php

http://www.adoptioncrossroads.org

http://www.origins-usa.org

On international adoption:

http://www.unicef.org/media/media_41918....

A study of adoption:

http://www.angelfire.com/or/originsnsw/w...

Answer 5

If you go over to Yahoo Groups, and do a search for UK Adoption (& the country you're interested in), there are lots of groups for people from the UK who've adopted internationally.  From what I hear, it can take around three years.

Answer 6

Personally I would really look into adoption in the UK first.  There are toddlers and infants needing loving homes that languish in foster care for much longer than need be.  Getting a child from overseas doesn't guarantee a healthy baby either.  It is well documented that the authorities out there will give the babies with 'dodgy' medical histories (ie severe learning disabilities in the birth parents, which could be hereditary) to the gullible from the UK and USA.

However, if that is the way you wish to go then you need to contact your local social services adoption team.  You have to have a home study carried out by them to adopt, even to adopt a child from overseas.  As you are not adopting a child from the UK you will have to pay for this.  I'm not sure how much it is but I have heard figures of £15000 - £20000 bandied about for the total cost of overseas adoption.  This includes the fees in the country you adopt from etc.  To adopt a child in the UK it doesn't cost anything.  Well apart from the court fee of £140 when the adoption is finalised.

Even if you aren't thinking about adoption right now it might be worth starting the process.  The social services will put you to the bottom of their 'to do' list as they have a priority to approve adopters of children from the UK first.  They will fit you in if and when they can.  To become approved to adopt from the UK is  lengthy process of up to a year, so be prepared for the process for you to take  a couple of years.  Then begins the process of finding a child, which may take a year or two more.

Good luck!