Social Care

Adoption is a lifetime commitment to a child. When you adopt, you become the child’s legal parent. They will usually take your surname and will become part of your family just as if they were born to you.

Why do people choose to adopt?

People choose to adopt for a variety of reasons, including a desire to share some of the good things they have with a child who is less fortunate. For some people adoption is their only option when they are unable to have children themselves. Others choose to adopt to make their family feel complete.

The children who need adoptive families

Adoption is no longer about babies. Many of the children who need a family are aged two or over. In the Bradford district there are a variety of children from a mixture of backgrounds and ethnic groups. All have one thing in common: a longing for a place in a family.

About 2/3 of the children are White British. About 1/3 may have one or both parents who are of Asian (mainly Pakistani), African-Caribbean, African, Middle Eastern and European backgrounds. Some of the children may have one or both parents who are themselves of dual heritage.

Sometimes we are seeking adoptive homes for groups of brothers and sisters. Usually they need to stay together in a new family. Sometimes they may need to be adopted separately and stay in touch.

Some children will have particular needs. These may include:

• neglect
• uncertainty about their development due to drug and alcohol use by parents,
• previous experiences of separation,
• abuse,
• also some children have a physical or learning disability,

There is a particular shortage of people to adopt these children.

All children who are adopted experience separation from their birth parents.

These experiences may lead to difficulties making relationships and behavioural problems and therefore the children will need help and support throughout their childhood and adoptive parents will need additional qualities to look after these children.

Who can adopt?

We welcome applications from people of all walks of life.
You can adopt regardless of your

• ethnic group,
• religion,
• gender,
• disability.
• marital status (single, married/civil partnership, divorced, widowed and living with a partner),
• sexual orientation (gay, lesbian),
• employment status,
• and you do not need to be a home owner.

We particularly welcome applications from people who are Asian, African Caribbean, of mixed heritage or in mixed heritage partnerships.