Adoption is a service for children who cannot live with their birth families. The legal process releases them from local authority care, and enables them to become a full, permanent member of another family. All parental responsibilities are transferred to the adoptive parent or parents.
People come to adoption for a variety of reasons, but for the majority it is because they are childless and perhaps have spent many emotionally painful years trying to have children of their own. Adoption may seem the obvious next step, but it is important that people take time to come to terms with their infertility. People often find that this process is similar to dealing with bereavement, and may experience varying degrees of grief, loss, guilt and anger. Some may find it helpful to seek counselling at this stage.
Many people think of adoption as being about healthy infants being placed voluntarily by their birth mothers for no other reason than that they are not in a position to look after them themselves. However, the days when women felt under this kind of pressure have almost disappeared and the number of young babies available for adoption is now very small. The children being placed for adoption these days are older, they may have developmental complications as a result of the lifestyle and health histories of their birth parents. The most common factors are drug and alcohol abuse and mental illness. Some children will be known to have special needs, and will require continuing support from education, health and Social Work Services. In many cases the birth parents may be actively opposed to adoption which may mean that the process will be long and complicated. During this time, the child may have some contact with their parents at least until the point when they are adopted.
Enquires are welcomed from those who can adopt children whose family, health and legal background are complex. We also want to hear from people who can consider children with disabilities or other special needs and those who are of other ethnicity.
Adoptive families are also needed for older children, some of them pre-school, but many of whom are early primary school age. The needs of older children can be particularly complex because they are likely to have had more exposure to emotionally damaging experiences. Quite often these children are part of a family group and they may need to be placed either together, or in a family who are willing to help them keep in contact with brothers and sisters placed elsewhere.
West Dunbartonshire Council welcomes enquiries from people from all areas who are interested in adopting older children, and sibling groups.
