Being Adopted
When is a child too old to be adopted?
To be adopted, a child should be under eighteen on the date that the application is made. They should also not be married or in civil partnership at the day of the order.
Does the child have any say in the choice of parents?
The current adoption legislation has to take into account a number of factors. One of those, within the checklist, is the wishes and feelings of the child, in the light of their age and understanding.
Am I allowed to contact my birth parents?
The court is required to consider whether there should be post-adoptive contact. If it doesn't provide for contact then the adoption agency doesn't actually have to offer it. However, even if there's no direct contact between the child or children and the birth parents, there may be indirect contact and that may be correspondence through the adoption agency once or twice a year.
Does a child have the right to refuse to be adopted?
Whether a child is refusing to be adopted, or not, that's an issue about their wishes and feelings in the light of their age and understanding. And as far as the decision is concerned, that is part of the checklist that the adoption court has got to consider when making its order.
Do siblings have to be placed together?
Sibling relationships are family relationships, and the court must consider those relationships when making an order. If siblings are going to be separated, then that's got to be justified on welfare grounds.
What factors are taken into account when deciding who the child is placed with?
In placing the child for adoption, the adoption agency must give the consideration to the child's religious grounds, racial origin, and cultural and linguistic background.
