Fostering and Adoption
Adoption
Who can apply to adopt?
People from a variety of backgrounds can apply to adopt. You might be single, divorced,
unemployed, disabled or gay for example. You may not have children of your own but
experience of children would be an advantage. South Ayrshire Council would welcome
enquiries from people of all races, religious beliefs and cultures.
Assessment and preparation
When you express an interest in adoption and have had an initial visit from the
social worker, you will be invited to attend preparation groups and provided there
are no issues, you would progress to a full adoption assessment which should be
completed within 6 months from your application. A social worker will visit you
at home to carry out the assessment. Confidential enquiries will be made of your
local social work department and you will be asked to provide three referees. All
applicants need to have a medical examination and any health issues will need to
be explored. Smoking and obesity are areas that also need to be explored.
Anyone interested in applying to adopt will be subject to a Disclosure (Scotland)
check to find out if they have a criminal record and to check if they are on the
list of people disqualified from working with children. A record of offences will
need to be carefully looked into but, apart from some offences against children,
will not necessarily rule you out from adopting.
At the end of your assessment, the social worker will present a full report to the
agency's Adoption Panel who will consider your application and make a recommendation
of your suitability to the agency decision maker. It is the role of the agency decision
maker to consider whether or not to approve prospective adopters and you would be
notified in writing of his decision.
Once you are approved, you will be matched with a child or a sibling group whose
plan is for permanency.
Baby Adoption 0-2
Anyone wishing to adopt a child or children in the 0-2 age range should apply to
the Glasgow and West of Scotland Adoption services (GWSAS). GWSAS is a consortium
which comprises of a number of local authorities in the West of Scotland. Prospective
adopters are included in an open evening then invited to training in Glasgow and
subsequently assessed by South Ayrshire Council social workers.
Inter-country Adoption
If you are resident in South Ayrshire Council and would like to adopt from abroad,
the adoption process is the same as domestic adoption. However you would be expected
to pay for your assessment to be done.
For further information please contact:
South Ayrshire Council
Children and Families Services
Fostering and Adoption Team
Whitletts Area Centre
181 Whitletts Road
Ayr KA8 0JQ
Tel: 01292 267675
E-mail: fostering@south-ayrshire.gov.uk