Yesterday marked ten weeks since little one came home. Ten weeks is significant in the adoption process - ten weeks after a child is 'placed' with you is the earliest point you are able to apply for your Adoption Order.
What is the Adoption Order and how is it different to where we are already?
The adoption order gives full parental responsibility for a child to the approved adopter(s), made on their application to the court. An adoption order severs the legal ties between a birth parent and the child, so that the adoptive parent(s) become the child's legal parent(s) throughout life. (see Adoption terms explained | Coram Adoption for this and others)
Currently we have a placement order and there are lines of responsibility between me, the local authority and the birth parent(s).
After the, 'what does this mean' question, I usually get asked 'so, how long does that take?'
To which the answer is basically the age old, how long is a piece of string. It depends on the waiting list for that particular court at the time, it depends on whether the birth parent(s) appeal.
This is where I usually get a surprised look. Yes, the birth parent(s) have an opportunity to ask the court to consider that they have made sufficient changes to prevent the adoption order being made. The law requires a significant change in circumstances for birth parents to apply to discharge or revoke final orders made in care proceedings.
I don't know what the stats are here (I tried to look), but to get this far, there isn't a high likelihood of successful overturning at this point.. The social workers are likely to have some insights as to whether this is a likely case, but that's just an indication based on what they are seeing.
I don't have to attend the court for the adoption order, but the option is there.
Forms joy
The form is 'only' 15 pages of information. It does ask for a number of additional documents (some in duplicate/triplicate) too. It's not the most intuitive form. I had to ask for additional eyes on it as i didn't trust that i hadn't missed something somewhere! I think I've covered it all now though. The form is called an A58. if you fancy a google and to go slightly cross-eyed.
A bit more on the When / why now
When i was going through earlier stages, I had considered potentially holding off from the adoption order a bit longer - there can be some advantages to being at the placement order / joint responsibility stage with regard to ensuring support for the child/ren, as then the local authority also has responsibility to ensure they get the help needed.
In our case though, I don't think we're likely to get much additional support for a while anyway and as my medical was nearly two years ago, it would be in danger of expiring and needing to be redone.
So what then?
If all goes through ok, this means my daughter will become...well, legally officially *my* daughter. A replacement birth certificate is issued for her with my details as her parent. This is where her name change (surname, but other changes may also be possible/advised, or you may just want to give them an additional middle name etc with it.)
An adoption birth certificate is a legal document that replaces the original birth certificate of an adopted child. This new certificate lists the adoptive parents' names instead of the biological parents and is considered to be the child's legal birth certificate.
Once that's completed we can apply for her passport/ open a savings account in her name/ go away for longer periods of time without clearing it with social workers (default seemed to be 48hours for the placement order) etc
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So I'm down near the original family court tomorrow and will deliver the forms & documentation in person at ten weeks and two days! 😲
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Related link: A20 - Adoption - A guide for family court users (01.18) (publishing.service.gov.uk)
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