Adoption - Our services
About Faith in Families
- Why should I choose to deal with Faith in Families when there are other adoption agencies in the area?
- What's the difference between Faith in Families and the services provided by a local authority?
- What area does Faith in Families cover?
- Does Faith in Families provide training?
- How can I find out what other people think of the services and support they've received from Faith in Families?
- Do you have any leaflets that I can look at?
- How can I find further information?
- Do you have information available, or large print or languages other than English?
- How can I make an appointment to see someone?
- Where are the Faith in Families offices?
- How can I make a donation to Faith in Families?
- I'd like to support the work of Faith in Families. How can I help?
Our Services
- What help and support can I expect from Faith in Families during and after the adoption process?
- I'm an adopted person. Does Faith in Families provide any services for people like me?
- Can you help me trace my birth parents?
- Can Faith in Families help me trace my birth family relatives?
- I've just found out that I am adopted. I'm confused. Who can I talk to?
- I'm a birth parent and desperate to find out if my children are happy with their adoptive parents. What can I do?
- I'm pregnant and may want to place my child for adoption. Can you help?
- We've applied to become adopters and now I've discovered I'm pregnant. Can we continue with our application?
The Process
- How long does the adoption process take?
- What are the legal implications of being an adopter?
- What is the role of the Adoption Panel?
- How does Faith in Families match children with adopters?
- What if I'm turned down?
- Will the police check up on my background?
- What checks will be made?
- Will I have to provide references?
- When should I tell my adopted children that they've been adopted?
- Do adoptions break down?
- Can I talk to other people who have adopted?
Information
- If I want to take this further, what's my next step?
- Do you have an application form?
- Do you have an information pack?
- How can I apply?
- Is information available in another format or language?
About Faith in Families
1. Why should I choose to deal with Faith in Families when there are other adoption agencies in the area?
We realise you have a choice. In such an important issue as adoption, it's vital that you deal with people you have confidence in, feel able to trust, and who can give you the professional support you need now and in the future. Faith in Families is a specialist adoption agency which aims to provide a high quality service to children and families.
2. What's the difference between Faith in Families and the services provided by a local authority?
Faith in Families is one of a network of Voluntary adoption agencies across the UK.
Simply put, if you come to Faith in Families as adopters, we will work together with you to find the child/children that are right for you from all the children throughout England and Wales awaiting a new family.
3. What area does Faith in Families cover?
We operate throughout the East Midlands and beyond. We work with families within a two hour travelling distance of our office base in Nottingham so that we can offer a high level of support when children are placed.
4. Does Faith in Families provide training?
Faith in Families provides excellent training. We run a 7 day training and preparation programme 3 times a year. Many other agencies provide less training – but here at Faith in Families we believe you need to be thoroughly prepared for such an important task as adoption.
The preparation groups cover a wide range of adoption related topics, including Changing Relationships, Child Development, Managing Behaviour, Loss, Communicating with Children, Caring for Abused Children, Diversity, Contact and Adoption Support. The groups will also provide an opportunity for you to meet people who have already adopted and to hear about their experiences.
Faith in Families provides an integrated preparation and assessment programme so that during the time that you are attending the groups your Social Worker will be visiting you at home to discuss with you the issues raised and to help you further prepare to become adoptive parents.
5. How can I find out what other people think of the services and support they've received from Faith in Families?
Feedback from adopters about our programme is very positive:
“Our Social Worker was an inspiration, we felt we could ask her anything however stupid or small and she always gave us a straight answer”.
“Meeting experienced adoptive families during the assessment process gave us a lot of encouragement and was very reassuring”.
6. Do you have any leaflets that I can look at?
Faith in Families has produced a range of leaflets on various subjects. These are all available for you to look at and download from this website. Click here to find out more.
7. How can I find further information?
If you don't find the information you're looking for on the Faith in Families website, you can contact us direct, either by phone or e mail, or contact one or more of the national adoption organisations. Click Contact us or Useful links for more details.
8. Do you have information available, or large print or languages other than English?
Please contact us and tell us what you need. We will then seek to provide you with any of our information in a format to suit your needs.
9. How can I make an appointment to see someone?
Contact Faith in Families for a prompt, friendly and confidential response. We can send you an information pack and arrange for one of our adoption practitioners to meet you for an initial discussion without any obligation on your part. Click Contact us for information.
10. Where are the Faith in Families offices?
Our address is:
Faith in Families,
7 Colwick Road,
West Bridgford,
Nottingham NG2 5FR
Telephone: 0115 955 8811
Fax: 0115 955 8822
11. How can I make a donation to Faith in Families?
You can do this in several ways. You can make a donation by credit/debit card by phoning us on 0115 9558811 or emailing us at enquiries@faithinfamilies.org By cash or cheque addressed to Faith in Families, 7 Colwick Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 5FR.
You may gift aid your donations using our gift aid leaflet which can be downloaded from this site.
12. I'd like to support the work of Faith in Families. How can I help?
Click here to be taken to our support our work page.
Our Services
1. What help and support can I expect from Faith in Families during and after the adoption process?
Following your approval at the Adoption Panel, we will continue in partnership with you, working towards the placement of children for adoption in your family.
Prospective adopters tell us they have chosen to come to Faith in Families because of our clear commitment to the support of our adopters and our strong reputation for this service.
Support is offered by the Agency at all stages: from your initial enquiry, through the assessment and preparation stage, approval as adopters, placement of children and in the years ahead after an Adoption Order has been made.
We will guide you through discussions regarding the child/ren who eventually join your family and support you through introductions to them. We will then remain in close contact to help you with advice and guidance regarding any particular issues that you encounter in caring for the child.
We have an adopters' support group which meets regularly and we can link you into Adoption UK which is a national adoption support network.
Our commitment to our families continues long-term following the making of the Adoption Order. We publish a regular newsletter and there are opportunities to maintain links with the agency via regular events, such as support group meetings, workshops and social events. Families are welcome to phone the Agency at any time. At Faith in Families experienced adopters help us to run our preparation groups and take part in recruitment events to find other adopters.
Please click here to see a copy of our adoption support leaflet which highlights our services to adopted people, birth relatives, adoptive parents and those formerly in the care of this Agency.
2. I'm an adopted person. Does Faith in Families provide any services for people like me?
Yes, for people adopted through this Agency. People who have been adopted often want to talk about their situation and their feelings. You can talk to us informally and we can provide you with information about specialist support, accessing information from your birth records, tracing and intermediary servcies, and the Adoption Contact Register.
Please click here to see a copy of our adoption support leaflet which highlights our services to adopted people, birth relatives, adoptive parents and those formerly in the care of this Agency.
3. Can you help me trace my birth parents?
4. Can Faith in Families help me trace my birth family relatives?
Yes, we can help. Faith in Families have extensive experience of helping adopted adults and birth families get back in touch with one another if that is what both parties want. We will give you advice, support and practical support for as long as you want it.
Please click here to see a copy of our adoption support leaflet which highlights our services to adopted people, birth relatives, adoptive parents and those formerly in the care of this Agency.
5. I've just found out that I am adopted. I'm confused. Who can I talk to?
You can talk to us or we can put you in touch with other specialist services. We have a duty social worker available each weekday between 9.30 and 5.00 and an out of hours phoneline operates on the first Thursday of each month between 5.00 and 8.00pm.
Please click here to see a copy of our adoption support leaflet which highlights our services to adopted people, birth relatives, adoptive parents and those formerly in the care of this Agency.
6. I'm a birth parent and desperate to find out if my children are happy with their adoptive parents. What can I do?
People who placed a child or children for adoption years ago may come to a point in their lives where they want to share their feelings or try and make some form of contact with them. At Faith in Families, there is also someone with the experience and knowledge to listen and offer guidance and support. We can also help you in accessing services from other agencies.
Please click here to see a copy of our adoption support leaflet which highlights our services to adopted people, birth relatives, adoptive parents and those formerly in the care of this Agency.
7. I'm pregnant and may want to place my child for adoption. Can you help?
If you are a practicing Catholic we can provide you with help and advice to make the right choice for you and your baby. If this is not the case, you may contact your local Children's Services Department.
8. We've applied to become adopters and now I've discovered I'm pregnant. Can we continue with our application?
No. We feel it is important that you take care of yourself and your birth children so continuing with your application is not the wisest choice for you at this time.
The Process
1. How long does the adoption process take?
We know that you will be keen to complete the process but we need to make sure that you're properly prepared, and that our checks are carried out sensitively and comprehensively. We aim to complete the assessment and preparation process within the eight month timescale recommended by the Government. The process of matching you with the right children can also be time consuming - it may take several months to find the child or children that are right for you.
You may feel that the process is too long but our low adoption breakdown rate underlines our belief in thoroughness and attention to detail so that we minimise the possibilities of anything going wrong and avoid the disappointment and pain that can result for both sides.
2. What are the legal implications of being an adopter?
When you adopt children and the Adoption Order is made you have full parental responsibility for the children and you are their legal parents.
3. What is the role of the Adoption Panel?
The Adoption Panel considers your application and recommends to the Agency whether you should be approved as prospective adopters. You will be invited to attend the Panel Meeting when your application is considered. You are verbally informed of the Panel's recommendation the same day and receive written confirmation of the Agency decision within five working days.
If you are unhappy about the Agency's decision, you have the right of appeal to the Independent Review Mechanism.
However, we aim to work openly and honestly with you in partnership and to have aired any concerns at a much earlier stage.
Click here for more information.
4. How does Faith in Families match children with adopters?
You and your social worker together will seek to match your skills and experience with the needs of particular children. We have access to children who are referred from right across the country from Local Authorities, the Adoption Register, Be my Parent,and Adoption UK. We have informal links with many Local Authorities with whom we have worked before, finding the right children for you - following a careful process of introduction.
5. What if I'm turned down?
Faith in Families’s commitment to work in an anti-discriminatory way informs all areas of our service provision and social work practice. We aim to treat all individuals fairly, openly and with respect throughout the adoption process.
We have a complaints procedure and you will be given a leaflet about this at the beginning of your application. If you are ultimately turned down by the Adoption Panel you can apply for your application to be heard by the Independent Review Mechanism.
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6. Will the police check up on my background?
Yes, you will be subject to an enhanced CRB check.
7. What checks will be made?
It is required by law that checks are completed by the Criminal Records Bureau, which include Police, Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families records. Additionally, checks are completed locally with Children's Services, the Probation Service, the Education Department and the Heath Visitor records.
Certain criminal convictions, in particular those involving children, automatically exclude applications.
Enhanced CRB checks are undertaken on all members of the household who are over 18.
Your social worker will ask to see your birth certificate, marriage and divorce certificates (as appropriate), your national insurance registration and evidence of rent/mortgage payments.
8. Will I have to provide references?
It is a legal requirement that every adoption application must be supported by three personal references one of which should be from a family member. Your referees should know you well, be aware of your interest in adoption and be able to comment about your potential as adoptive parents.
Adoption referees are asked to complete a written reference based on guidelines provided by the Agency. When this is returned an appointment will be made by your social worker to visit them for further discussion.
It is our policy to contact former partners where you have jointly parented children previously as this provides important evidence about your parenting ability and experience. We would discuss the individual circumstances with you first.
If you already have children and they are at school, we will ask their school for a reference after discussion with you.
If you are a practicing Catholic we will also ask your Parish Priest for a reference.
We also will need to seek a reference from your employer to verify your employment status, National Insurance number and income. We would discuss the timing of this with you.
All references are held by the agency as confidential information.
9. When should I tell my adopted children that they've been adopted?
If you adopt a very young child, you can start explanations at an early stage, so that they get used to the word adoption and grow up knowing all about it. If children are older when they come to live with you, they will have memories of their past and they will need you to help them understand what is happening to them. The important thing to remember is that explanations need to be ongoing and to grow and develop alongside the child, taking into account their developing understanding of life, love and relationships.
10. Do adoptions break down?
Yes, but not often. We take great care to ensure the process is thorough, to avoid breakdown: Providing good preparation and access to support services also minimises the risks. We talk with you about the possibility of an adoption disruption during your training and preparation and help you with strategies to prevent this from happening. Faith in Families has a breakdown rate which is below the national average.
11. Can I talk to other people who have adopted?
Yes. Email us with your request and we'll arrange for you talk to someone on the phone, on line or in person, whatever suits you best. Click here for information.
Information
1. If I want to take this further, what's my next step?
Contact Faith in Families for a prompt, friendly and confidential response. We can send you an information pack and arrange for one of our adoption practitioners to meet you for an initial discussion without any obligation on your part. Click here to contact us.
2. Do you have an application form?
Yes. Click here.
3. Do you have an information pack?
Yes. Click here.
4. How can I apply?
Click here for our online application form.
5. Is information available in another format or language?
If you require information in any other format or language, please contact us