Adoption

You must meet the criteria required by UK adoption agencies.

• you must be over the age of 21
• There is no upper age limit to adopt
• Whatever ethnic background you are from, you can still adopt
• Being on a low income or benefits should not stop you from adopting
• You need to have been living in the British Isles for at least a year to apply to adopt
• If you have a criminal record this would be carefully looked into but, apart from some offences against children, it won’t necessarily rule you out.

Having a disability is not a barrier to adoption, provided you can care for the child. All applicants, regardless of whether or not they live with a disability, must go through a ‘panel’ where experts ask you questions about your life – including how you’ll deal with potential issues arising from your daily life.

You can adopt even if you already have children, whether adopted, biological or step children. You can adopt more than one child at a time, some children have siblings also waiting to be adopted

You don’t have to own your own home – you just need the space and security to care for a child as they grow up you will be considered.

Absolutely – in fact, many adoption agencies are encouraging more single people to adopt. You can adopt if you are an unmarried couple. This goes for all sexualities and gender expressions.