Tuesday 10 January 2023
The Family Placement Service is actively seeking out individuals or families who are interested in becoming adoptive parents in the Bailiwick.
There are a number of options when considering the long-term care needs for children and young people. Adoption is one option that is considered for younger children who cannot remain with their birth parents or extended family.
Karen Reade, Team Manager, Family Placement Services said:
'By adopting a child, you will be offering them a secure home and they will legally become a permanent member of your family. Similar to the UK, there are very few babies requiring adoptive parents, so adoption is generally considered for children between the ages of one and eight years. There is also a need for adoptive parents for sibling groups.'
To adopt a child, you need to be at least 25 years of age, but you can adopt regardless of gender, sexual orientation, marital status, ethnicity, religion, and background. You can also adopt as a couple or as a single person.
The Family Placement Service runs Preparation to Adopt courses which are led by Social Workers experienced in adoption, alongside other professionals and experienced adoptive parents. These courses are designed to highlight the key issues regarding adoption and can really help people decide whether adoption is the right fit for them and their family. These courses are usually held over three days and attendance is mandatory for anyone wishing to make an application. The course generally gives you an opportunity to discuss issues that you may not have thought about before and to ask any questions you may have.
The Family Placement Service will be running their next Preparation to Adopt course in late February 2023. If you are interested in attending this to learn more about adoption, the Service would encourage you to get in touch as soon as possible. A Social Worker will take some details from you and arrange to visit you to talk in more detail about adoption before you decide whether to proceed further.
If you think adoption might be the right fit for you and your family, the Family Placement Service is encouraging you to take that first step and contact a member of their team on familyplacementserviceduty@gov.gg or phone 223182 for a no obligation chat. Please also visit the Family Placement Service website, www.guernseyfostercare.com/adoption to find out more information about local adoption and the process to become an adoptive parent. You can also keep up with the Family Placement Service on Facebook, www.facebook.com/fosteringandadoptiongsy/.
