Adoption is where you provide a permanent new family for a child or children. You become their legal parents, with the same rights and responsibilities as if they were born to you. Most children in need of adoption in East Sussex are under 5 years of age, but some are of school age and around a third need to be placed with their brothers and sisters.
The children come from a wide variety of backgrounds and all have experienced the loss of their birth family. What these children have in common is their need to be part of a loving, family home.
Who can adopt?
We welcome applications for adoption from anyone who:
- is legally allowed to live in the UK
- is at least 21 years of age
- normally lives in East Sussex
- is single, or
- is a couple in a stable and long-term relationship.
Children in need of adoption come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and we try to find a wide variety of adopters too. This can include people who already have children and those who do not.
We may expect you to wait for a year before you apply to adopt a child if you have recently experienced a significant event in your life such as the death of a close friend or relative, a relationship breakdown or the end of infertility treatment. This is to be sure that you are emotionally ready to start the adoption assessment process.
If you have already adopted a child, you must apply again if you want to adopt another child. You must also give us evidence that you, and the child you have already adopted, are ready for another adoption.
Your reasons for adopting
Many people choose to adopt because they cannot have their own children, and sometimes people decide before they have had time to think about or discuss what either childlessness or adoption would really mean. If you are thinking about adopting a child, it is important to give yourself time to think through what will work for your family.
You should think about what you can offer a child who has experienced losses in the past, and what would happen if you had your own child later on. If you already have children, either your own children or adopted children, you also need to be clear about why you want to adopt and be aware of the effect an adopted child will have on your other children.
Can I adopt my step-children?
Sometimes, when a parent gets married again, they want their new partner to adopt their children. This kind of adoption by a step-parent is different to the general adoption process, and you can get advice and information about this by contacting the adoption and permanence team.
Can I adopt a child from another country?
Some people decide to try and adopt a child from overseas. If you decide to do this, you must go through a process that is similar to adopting children in the UK. When a social worker does an assessment for inter-country adoption, you will have to pay a fee to cover the cost of this work. Your first step should be to contact the adoption and permanence team.
How many children are adopted every year?
In 2009-10 in England and Wales, 1,497 children were registered on the Adopted Children's Register. Of these children:
- 815 were boys and 682 were girls
- 327 were aged under 2
- 633 were aged between 2 and 5 years of age
- 537 were aged over 5.
How can I adopt a child?
The whole adoption process is explained in our step-by-step guide to adoption.
East Sussex County Council