Adoption process here at PACT

To adopt a child there is a regulated legal process that all prospective adopters must undertake. Some people may think that the process is long and intense. It is thorough but it’s important that all adoptive parents are properly prepared and assessed to be able to meet the needs of children who have experienced loss, and are likely to have had a traumatic start to their life. Our team at PACT is here to guide and support adopters through every step of this process to become a parent.

Enquiry stage

Research

Contact PACT enquiries team
Attend a PACT adoption information event
Consider your home situation – no plans to move or have renovations
Information sharing meeting with a PACT adoption social worker

Gain voluntary experience with children, particularly children with needs similar to those in care
Obtain references and overseas checks if you have lived abroad

Choose an adoption agency

Complete a Registration of Interest (ROI) form

Stage one

Meet your social worker

Statutory checks made including DBS (police check), local authority check and health assessment
References obtained
Attend initial adoption preparation training course
Undertake some reading/additional learning activity
Continue voluntary work experience

Register with the Children And Trauma Community Hub (CATCH) for online support

Stage two

Assessment with your allocated social worker
Assessment report (PAR) presented to PACT adoption panel
Further training for you and your family

Family finding

Meet your allocated family finder

Link you with a child or children
Local authority matching adoption panel approval
Introductions – visits (around 10 to 28 days) to enable you to get to know your child(ren)
Child(ren) come to live with you in your home

Establishing your family

Becoming parents
Adoption support and reviews of the placement
Legal Adoption Order and celebration hearing (4-12 months after placement)

Ongoing adoption placement support

Continuing adoption training
Support groups and family fun days
Access to FACTS therapeutic services

Download our guide to adoption

Our Brief Guide to Adoption contains information about PACT and what to expect from the adoption process. You can also fill in our enquiry form to receive a full Adoption Information Pack which will explain each step of the process in detail.

Download our adoption guide

Could you adopt?

Interested to find out how easy it would be for you to adopt? Use our interactive self-assessment tool to find out now!

Take our self assessment

Talking Adoption show

Hear our team chat about the adoption process and answer your questions.

To see more videos in our Talking Adoption series, click below.

View the Talking Adoption show on YouTube

Take the next step…

Read our FAQs

Our frequently asked questions answer some of the most common questions we receive about adopting with PACT.

See FAQs

Contact our enquiries team

Get in touch with our friendly Enquiries team to find out more about adopting with PACT.

Make an enquiry

Come to an information event

Come to one of our online adoption information events and find out if adoption is right for you.

See our events