Six messages about adoption

Nugent’s Registered Manager, Jo Lloyd, highlights some of the less obvious questions about adoption.

1. All kinds of people adopt

As long as you’re over 21, are a UK resident and don’t have any criminal convictions against children or vulnerable adults, you can be considered for adoption. Marital status, age, sexuality, religious beliefs, ethnicity, employment status and disability don’t exclude people from adopting.

2. You don’t have to be ‘perfect’

Nobody’s perfect, and we certainly don’t expect prospective adopters to be! Quite often, it’s overcoming adversity in your own life that gives you the skills and qualities that can benefit vulnerable children. Resilience and empathy are vital. So don’t feel you need to put on an act and be the person you think we’re looking for. Just be yourself. You’ll have strengths you may not have even considered before.

3. Be open and honest right from the beginning

There may be aspects of your life you don’t feel comfortable sharing but we need to know you inside and out, whether that’s a criminal conviction or a difficult past relationship, we need to know everything so we can best represent you to the adoption panel.”

4. You’ll learn a lot about yourself

Many of our adoptive families say that going through the adoption process was actually quite therapeutic and strengthened their relationship as a couple or with other family members, we spend a lot of time talking about your life and you may examine areas that you haven’t really talked about before.

5. It’s ok to say no if the match doesn’t feel right

Once you’ve been matched with a child, don’t be afraid to express your doubts if it doesn’t feel right, I think people feel scared to say no, particularly if they’ve waited a long time for a match, but it’s so important to make the best decision for your family. We’ll support you through that decision process, so don’t be afraid to voice any concerns.

6. It can feel overwhelming at times

The adoption process is often described by adoptive families as ‘intense’ and you may feel overwhelmed at times, particularly when your child or children finally come to live with you, it’s completely normal to feel this way and doesn’t mean you’ve made a mistake. We’re here to support you whenever you need us.

So, if you are wanting to make the next step on your adoption journey, We would love to hear from you. Please give our friendly team a call on 01744 613041 or visit our email adoption@wearenugent.org.