I want to adopt. What next?

The first thing you should do if you have decided you want to adopt is contact us for an initial conversation. This is a chance for you to ask questions and find out a little more about the adoption process.

What can I expect?

Children who have been adopted require patience, love and permanency in their life. It’s important that you can understand the child’s needs and set your own agenda aside to be able to provide what the child needs.

Adoptive parents Laura and Jim from Northern Ireland share their experience

While the story is a real-life account of one couple’s adoption journey with Adoption Routes we have changed their names for safeguarding purposes.

1. Why did you decide to adopt?

We had not been able to have biological children of our own, so we explored the adoption process. As a result, we felt that we could offer a child with a challenging start in life a safe, loving, consistent and healing home and truly immerse them into our family with patience and time.

2. How did you find the process?

The process was a roller coaster, which our initial social worker did forewarn us about. All the twists, turns, highs and lows were ultimately worth it to strengthen and explore our relationships with each other, friends and family indeed ourselves as individuals.

No stone is left unturned and some of the rigid processes were frustrating, but there is very much a greater purpose to this to make sure that any child or children you can potentially be matched with has the family that they need and that you are as prepared as you can be for what may be ahead of you.

3. Did you feel supported?

For the most part, very much so. We were supported and guided by Adoption Routes for the entirety of our journey. During the process, we had a change of social worker, and both were amazing, but in particular our pairing with our second social worker was very aligned as she was also an adoptive parent.

Parts of the journey with the local authority that we adopted from via Adoption Routes were very challenging for us and the agency, and it did feel like we were getting nowhere at times and nobody knew what anyone was doing. However, things did move forward and it was worth the challenges to arrive at our adoption destination!

4. How has it enriched your life?

We both felt an inexplicable ‘pull’ to our adopted daughter from the moment we learned of her. This pull has blossomed into the most unconditional love and we simply cannot imagine life any other way.

Her energy and fun makes us smile every single day, and our furry family simply adore her and vice versa. Being called ‘Mummy’ and ‘Daddy’ is something we never grow tired of and Christmas is beyond magical.

5. Would you encourage others who are thinking about adoption to use Adoption Routes?

Absolutely – we had such incredible support from the word go, and we would not hesitate to recommend them. They will support you throughout your journey and beyond.

“Adoption is the best thing we have ever done.”

I want to adopt. What next?