Why children are adopted

There are very few children who are placed for adoption who are either orphans, abandoned or voluntarily placed for adoption by their birth family. >Most children who are placed for adoption will have been the subject of a lot of heart searching but necessary decisions following concerns about their parents ability to care for them safely.The Courts will have been involved in making these decisions .

Kirklees believes that for young children usually under 10 years ,who cannot remain with their parents of other family adoption provides the best alternative for their long term care

The following are merely examples of situations and there are as many different situations as there are children. No two circumstances are ever alike.

Dawn aged 18 months:
The Children and Young People's Service Department has been granted a care order and Freeing Order by the Courts and recommended that she be placed for adoption.
Her mother is suffering from a mental illness, she has older children but due to her illness she has never been able to successfully parent any of them. For the first six months of her life Dawn was living with her mother, closely supervised by a number of professionals. It was finally decided that her mother could not provide a safe, stable environment in the long term. A care order was sought. Dawn and since that time has been lucky to have the same foster carer for her time "in care". Dawn has thrived and done well with her carer, she has now attained all the normal milestones.
Dawn was adopted by a childless couple in their 30's

John is 4 years old:
John failed to develop properly in the care of his mother, he was underweight and under-stimulated. His mother has a learning disability. There is also a strong possibility that he has been sexually abused. It is anticipated that John will have a degree of developmental delay. Children and Young People's Service were granted a care order ana Freeing Order to enable John to be placed with an adoptive family.
John was adopted by a single woman in her 40's

Susan is 6 years old and her brother Peter is 3 years old:
Their mother has periods in her life when she has needed to turn to drugs or alcohol in order to help her through each day. There has been a period of relative stability when Susan lived with her mother and partner. This relationship did not last. Susan was placed in foster care several times during her early life when her mother hit a crisis. Susan has often looked after her mother and tends to parent Peter. At their mother's request. an adoptive family is now being sought for both children, together.
Susan and Peter were adopted by a couple in their earl 5O's with two teenage children.

Support and help will be provided by the Social Worker for the child placed for adoption, and the family's own support worker untill the time of adoption.