# Adopting a sibling



## moobags (Nov 13, 2013)

Just looking for a little advice.  BF partner (on and off currently secretly on) is due to give birth in August because of BF history and also partner having some mental health issues (not sure what exactly) we are led to believe that SS are monitoring the situation.  We know that partner is currently taking a parenting class so are assuming this is at the request of SS but this is all we know. Anyway my question is should the baby be removed how long would it take and what would be involved in DH and I being assessed as adopters for the baby and what are the rough timescales also in addition to the parenting course what will the Mother be expected to adhere to in order to satisfy social services requirements so that she can keep the baby.

Thanks for any help information or advice.

The IRO seems to think it's a very high possibility the child will be removed although at what point who knows.

Moo X


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## Sq9 (Jan 15, 2013)

We were approached at the end of last year as birth mum had rocked up at hospital 35 weeks pregnant.  We were originally asked to consider fostering to adopt from hospital but then were told would take 3 months to do our assessment (think they had forgotten we had adoption order for little pink so would have to be new assessment) so a lot will depend on whether you have the adoption order for little inept not. In the end we decided it wasn't the right time for us as little pink still settling into nursery and I had not just gone back to work. As for what bf will be required to do, that will really depend on what the previous concerns were and what work was recommended during last proceedings and whether this work has been started / likely to be started. We were told by our sw that because of previous history she didn't think they would assess BM again and they wanted to move baby as soon as possible once born but then they agreed to assess her and her 2 eldest children. In the end they didn't comply with the assessment and little pink's brother has just started intros with his new family at 6 months old. Not sure if that's much help! Good luck


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## moobags (Nov 13, 2013)

Yes we have an adoption order so does that mean star get from scratch 7 months x


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## Tictoc (Aug 20, 2015)

We were also pre adoption order when approached about sibling but even so I do think they can assess pretty quickly. I found though that despite being asked if we would adopt we got little to no info until courts were on the brink of deciding adoption was the plan - a lot of time spent in limbo waiting and trying not to think about it. In the end he came to us under fta at 11 weeks after a residential assessment with birth mother.


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## moobags (Nov 13, 2013)

Thanks ticto we are over three hours away so FTA wouldn't be an option and isn't something we would consider.  Everything at the minute is an if but or maybe but just wanting to get our heads around things and try and plan.  I have read conflicting things online as to the process I am assuming that because our boys were placed in less than a year ago we would go straight to stage 2 but again that just me making assumption I could be way off the mark.  Don't want to ask the social workers as they will think we are getting ahead of ourselves but would be nice to have an idea of what we would need to do and the timescales involved.

Once again thanks for your reply.

Moo x


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## becs40 (Apr 9, 2013)

From others I've seen in this situation there isn't a normal timescale as such as those are generally for bee adopters. When it comes to adopting a sibling it's a much shorter prices because it's more of an update to your CPR they're doing so not as indepth. They also will generally get you approved before the sibling us in a position yo be placed if you're not doing fta.
If you're not going down the fta route then generally it would be pretty unusual for a placement order to be issued before 6 months. Our lo was removed at birth and straight to fc's. His placement order was issued a few days before he was 6 months. His was a straightforward case as older siblings removed just a few months previously. It's just the time it all takes with standard timescales between hearings etc for BF to show their case.


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## ritzi (Feb 18, 2006)

moobags

this is how it worked for us once sibling had PO in place. our babe had PO at 5 months.

home study - 7 weeks (mostly just updated our PAR), dbs, medical, references. 12 weeks in all, approval panel, matching panel. By adoption standards it was quick, around 4 months in all! my medical was the longest as a bit complex, and xmas was inbetween panels too!

if we do it again, we are told we cannot start the process until babe will be released for adoption - the courts will not allow the SW to pre-empt things, so about 4-6 weeks before the PO the agency will begin the above process and try to get it done in the 6 weeks while waiting for the Po. This is without f2a. 

hth


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## moobags (Nov 13, 2013)

Thanks ritzi so how old was LO when finally placed with you X


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## ritzi (Feb 18, 2006)

she was 11 months - but we didn't start the process till she was 7 months - 2 months after the PO was in place.  you'd never know now that she didn't start life with us   


next time we'll start just before the PO paperwork goes into the judge, so should be home by 6 months, which is about the earliest for adoption of a sibling without f2a......fingers crossed!


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## Tictoc (Aug 20, 2015)

They can start the process before PO - really depends on agency.

When we went to panel everyone knew we were only being approved again for a certain child but in order to not pre empt the court's decision in panel and all paperwork we could not mention child and could only discuss approval for a child within matching criteria. 

Our youngest got PO at 5 months but that's pretty quick!


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