About Adoption
What is adoption?
Adoption is a way of providing a new permanent family for a child, not able to be brought up in the birth family. A Local Authority acts as an Adoption Agency and is legally allowed to arrange adoptions.
Who can adopt?
East Riding of Yorkshire Council welcomes applicants from all areas of society and does not discriminate in any way. However there are laws governing who can adopt:
Prospective adopters must be 21 or over.
There is no upper age limit.
A couple wishing to adopt together must be married.
One member of a cohabiting couple can adopt and the other partner would need to apply for an order giving them Parental Responsibility.
Anyone with an offence against children is barred by law from becoming an adopter.
Adoption Services
Adoption UK
In addition to this there is free, confidential help and advice available from Adoption UK
The Post Adoption Letterbox Scheme
This is a means by which information will be exchanged between the birth family and the child's adoptive family.
More adoption information
For further information contact:
The Fostering Team,
Child Care Resources,
Beck View Road,
Grovehill
HU17 8JT
Alternatively, visit our Social Services web pages.
What is fostering?
Fostering services aim to provide care for children and young people who are unable to live at home due to family difficulties. It provides flexible family support through other schemes, including respite for carers of children with disabilities. Advice, support and training are offered to carers and social workers.
Contact - The Fostering Team.
For more information on fostering and foster care why not visit the most popular internet site in the UK - Fostering Website
Different types of fostering
There are two different types of fostering:
Task Centred Fostering
The term 'task centred' emphasises that the child will one day move on, either back to parents or on to a long term foster placement.
Long Term Fostering
Long Term Fostering is a term used by Social Workers to describe the needs of children for whom Social Services must find alternative families for the duration of childhood.
Who can foster?
Foster Carers come from all sorts of backgrounds. Single/married, people in relationships, people unemployed/employed. Foster Carers are needed from all cultures, religions and communities regardless of their age, race and sexuality, and you may or may not have children of your own.
It is most important that you care about children and can work with their families, are willing to learn, can work with social services and have the physical space and time in your life.
Private Fostering
Most children spend some time staying with friends and relatives. However, in some situations the arrangements can become more permanent. If a child aged under 16 years (or under 18 years if they have a learning disability) goes to live with people who are not related to them for 28 days or more, this is known as "private fostering", and special rules apply. If you are looking after a child and think you could be a private foster carer, or you are the parent of a child in this situation, you must inform Social Services. For more information call Family Placement Team Tel: 01482 396673/6.
More fostering information
For further information contact:
The Fostering Team,
Child Care Resources,
Beck View Road,
Grovehill
HU17 8JT
Family Placement Team Tel: 01482 396673/6.
