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The Adoption Process
The adoption process can seem scary.
Some of the key stages are explained here.
Stage 1
If you are considering adoption, you can get information by attending a group information meeting, or an introductory interview with an adoption social worker. The Adoption Information and Services Unit (AISU) in your area will be able to tell you when their next meeting is to be held. Call 0508 FAMILY (0508 326 459) and ask to be connected to your local AISU.
Stage 2
Attend the group information evening.
Stage 3
If you wish to proceed with the adoption process, you can make an application at your nearest AISU. You will need to:
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fill out an application form, giving basic details about yourself
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supply the names of two people who know you well and who will provide references which are relevant to your application
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give permission for the AISU to obtain medical information from your family doctor about your general state of health
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give permission for the AISU to request a police check.
If you have any particular health problems or if you have committed offences, you should discuss these with an adoption social worker early in the process.
Stage 4
Once your application has been received, you will be invited to attend an Education and Preparation Programme. The general aim of this programme is to provide you with information, and to offer you ongoing support. It also gives you the opportunity to explore issues surrounding adoption, your own circumstances, and time to examine attitudes and beliefs about adoption. This may help you to make an informed decision as to whether you wish to parent an adopted child.
Stage 5
A number of interviews with social workers are held during and after the programme. This social work assessment also provides you with an opportunity to raise any matters with social workers. Remember, this process is a two-way partnership. It’s a chance for you to think everything through and for AISU to find out a lot more about you. During this period you can expect to:
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Meet social workers to find out about adoption first-hand
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Have your questions about adoption answered
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Be seen by a social worker in your own home
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Be asked detailed questions about your own background and circumstances
The preparation and assessment process is quite lengthy, but this is for very good reasons. From the AISU point of view, adoption is for life and it is important that they make sure the adoptive parents they approve are the right ones. But adoption is also a major decision for you. The assessment gives you an opportunity to take an honest look at what you want out of adoption and what you can give. You need to be certain at the end of it, that you want to make a lifetime commitment.
Stage 6
There is a second Education and Preparation Programme day to attend. On this day the preparation of your personal profile book will be discussed.
Stage 7
At the end of the assessment period, you will be requested to prepare a profile giving details about yourself. Profiles are presented to people (birth parents) who are considering placing a child for adoption. Birth parents ultimately choose the couple (or person) that they consider will be most appropriate for their child. Because birth parents come from a wide range of backgrounds, there is, correspondingly, a need for a wide range of applicants in the Waiting Pool.
Stage 8
You submit a couple of copies of your profile to the waiting pool and you wait to be selected by birth parents.
Stage 9
Your profile is selected and you meet the birth parents. If this is a satisfactory meeting the adoption may proceed. If not your profile goes back into the Waiting Pool.
Stage 10
If the birth parent or parents sign the adoption consent form once the 12 day waiting period is over you are able to take the baby home. Please note that some birth parents may require longer than 12 days before signing this paperwork. The adoption consent form is an irrevocable document and it important that they take the time they need in order to be confident they are making the best decision in their circumstances.
About six months after taking the baby home you will get a letter from your Lawyer/Court giving you a date to attend Court to gain the interim adoption order (note: it could be up to a year before getting this interim order in some cases).
Stage 11
A final adoption order is usually made six to ten months after the interim order. This finalises the adoption and the baby can receive a new birth certificate bearing the name the adoptive parents have chosen and showing them to be the child’s parents. The child takes your surname and becomes a full member of your family.
How long does it all take?
It is difficult to give an exact time frame but most couples (or people) take about six months to a year from initial phone call to being accepted into the Waiting Pool. It is impossible to say how long it will be before you are selected because this depends upon whether your profile is chosen. Some people are chosen as soon as they enter the Waiting Pool others remain in the Waiting Pool for years before deciding to withdraw their profile. It is also important to note that not every profile selection ends in an adoption. Many birth mums change their mind once the baby is born. It is a very difficult waiting process for prospective adoptive couples and it is not recommended that you put your life on hold during this process. It is important to continue to make plans, go on holidays and try not to let the wait dominate your life.
What rights do birth parents have after the adoption?
Once an Adoption Order has been made, the birth parents have no legal rights over the child and cannot claim him or her back.
Will I be paid to adopt?
No. You are expected to meet the general living costs of a child you adopt like any parent. You will also have to pay the legal costs of both your lawyer and the birth parents lawyer. This may be in the region of $1500-$2500. You can shop around for a lawyer or the AISU can recommend one.
What support will I get after the adoption?
At the moment there is very little support on offer to adoptive parents once the adoption is completed. You will have one or two follow up visits from your social worker before the final order is made. Sometimes the best form of support comes from other adoptive parents. Seek out others who have adopted. OPAN, the Open Adoption Network, is a national New Zealand organisation, which produced information for those involved in adoption. You may find that you have met people on your Education and Preparation Programme who have also adopted and you could stay in touch with them and establish your own support group. It is good to know and regularly see other families who have adopted as it means your adopted child will grow up knowing they are not the only person who has been adopted. You will also be able to share your experience of adoption and often it is interesting to discuss how other families manage to make the contact with birth families work.
The information on these pages was correct at time of writing January 2007. The Adoption Option Trust can take no responsibility for errors. We endeavour to be accurate but sadly we receive no support from CYF. Please refer to the CYF web site for further information.
Useful Contacts
Adoptions Information and Services Unit: 0508 FAMILY (0508 326 459)
