Adoption

Information on Adoption

What is Adoption?

Adoption is a service to children who cannot for whatever reason be cared for within their birth family. All children need permanent, loving families of their own to meet their needs - adoption provides this for some children.

There are very few adoptions in Shetland and children who have been placed for adoption tend to be older children who may have social, emotional and behavioural problems as a result of difficulties in their birth families.

Once a decision to adopt had been made and that adoption is in a child's best interest, care will be taken to prepare that child to settle into a new family. Great care will be taken to choose prospective adopters that reflect as far as possible, the child's religion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background.

Assessing Prospective Adopters

A full and comprehensive assessment that includes police checks, local authority checks, a full medical and medical history will be completed. This can take from three to six months. Once the report is completed it is sent to the Fostering and Adoption Panel with the social worker's recommendations. The Panel makes recommendations to the Head of Social Work as to whether applicants should be approved as adopters.

Single prospective adopters and unmarried couples can be considered. People from all religious and ethnic backgrounds can apply to adopt. The Family Placement Officer is happy to talk to couples undergoing fertility treatment about adoption issues, but could not begin a formal assessment until fertility treatment had been concluded.

Applicants must show their willingness to share information about the child's birth family and the circumstances of the adoption throughout the child's life.

They must be prepared to meet with the Birth Family members if requested to do so by the Adoption Panel.

Adopters must be prepared to offer occasional contact (e.g. photos, cards, letters and even direct contact) with significant birth family members through Social Work if requested to do so.

In circumstances where applicants move away from Shetland, the application would not proceed.

Enquiries will be considered from Shetland residents only.

Adoption allowances may be payable to help secure or maintain a suitable adoptive placement where a financial barrier exists.

Step-Parent Adoptions

Some step-parents apply to adopt their step-children. They are assessed in the same way as any other prospective adopter and if the assessment concludes that adoption is in the best interests of the child, that recommendation would be made in the detailed report that is submitted to the Sheriff's Court.

Overseas Adoptees

Some couples adopt children from other countries. All prospective overseas adopters go through exactly the same assessment (Shetland Islands Council does make a charge for these assessments) and would be presented to the Adoption and Fostering Panel.

The United Kingdom recognises some overseas countries' adoption and not others and this can make the whole process very complicated.

Advice and guidance should be sought at an early stage.

There are post adoption services available to adopted people:

TALKadoption offer advice about adoption for all those involved, adoptees, birth parents and adoptive families. Freephone: 0808 808 1234 (Mon, Wed, Thu - 9am to 6pm; Tue - 9am to 8pm and Fri - 9am to 4pm)

Just click on the logo to access the website.