Some of the questions we're most often asked by prospective adopters

Is there an age limit?

Legally you must be over 21 to adopt. While we don’t have any upper age limit, most of the Agencies asking us to place children work with a practice rule of 40 years between parent and child. Older adopters are more likely to be considered for older children, although more important than age is the ability of adopters to provide a loving and secure home for children until adulthood.

How healthy do I need to be?

A health assessment is undertaken as part of the process. Adopting a child is a lifelong commitment requiring emotional resilience and stamina. We are required to evidence that applicants have good general physical and emotional health. If you do have a health concern, please do speak to us and we can advise whether this might affect an assessment.

Is smoking a problem?

If you are a smoker you would not generally be approved as an adopter for children under the age of 5. In respect of school age children, we will discuss with you the impact of smoking on children and how to minimise these risks.

Do I need to have a high income?

You don’t need to be wealthy or own your own home to be an adoptive parent. You will however, require sufficient space to provide a child’s bedroom. We welcome your application regardless of your income. If you are on a low income or benefits, you may be eligible for an adoption allowance to support the ongoing care of any child you adopt.

What if I have a criminal conviction?

We will look at any past offences within their context which may be very different from your current situation. Some offences however will prevent you from becoming an adoptive parent. These are mainly offences involving the abuse of children. If you do have criminal convictions, speak to us about this and we can give you more detailed information.

Can I be assessed while undergoing infertility treatment?

We ask that you have completed all infertility treatment, as we do need to be sure that you are committed to parenting through adoption.

Do I need to have had experience of caring for children?

Not all our prospective adopters have experience of bringing up children, although many will have been involved with children through their relatives and friends. We will explore with you what other life experiences you may have had that will be useful as an adopter eg prospective adopters can often relate their own experiences of loss and bereavement to the adopted child’s experience of loss.

Can I adopt from abroad?

Scottish Adoption Association offers a comprehensive service in relation to adoption from overseas to those living in the City of Edinburgh, West Lothian, East Lothian and Midlothian. This service includes:
Ø       Preparation
Ø       Information and advice
Ø       Assessment work
Ø       Post placement work
The Local Authorities, on whose behalf we do this work, require us to make a charge for this service. Please contact us for more information if you live in these areas and are interested in overseas adoption.

Can you tell me about the process I’ll need to go through to be an adopter?

When you first contact us, you will be sent an Information Pack. If you return the Registration of Interest Form in the pack we will arrange an appointment with one of our social workers. This is an opportunity to answer your questions and tell you more about the task of adoptive parenting.If you wish to progress your interest in adoption further and are a prospective adopter able to consider the children we are being asked to place, we will book you on one of our regular Preparation Courses. This 5 day course is designed to help prospective adopters with the information and skills needed to meet the challenges of adoption.Following the course you will be allocated a social worker who will undertake your assessment. The assessment includes a range of checks and references and a series of meetings with your social worker. Applicants work closely with the social worker to prepare a report that looks at factors such as family background, personal values, lifestyle, relationships, experience, skills, readiness for adoption and how all of your experiences and life skills can best be matched with the children waiting to be adopted.The assessment, which usually takes 5 – 6 months to complete, is then presented to our Adoption Panel who will make a recommendation regarding your suitability to adopt.

What support will I get?

Scottish Adoption staff will guide and support you through each stage of your adoption journey – from your initial assessment, through to your adoption placement. Over the years following adoption, we will keep in touch with you and be available to offer advice and support anytime you require this.

Please do contact us and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about becoming an adoptive parent: