# No children available - discouraged from registering for adoption



## pandagirl (Jan 12, 2013)

Hi everyone

After months of thinking, reading, attending information sessions, discussion with DH, etc, we finally made a step to register our interest with the local council and made an appointment with the social worker. I was enthusiastic about this new journey but also worried about a million things we might be asked about. However, it never got to that point. The social worker put it very simply: there are no children meeting our requirements available at the moment either at their council or elsewhere to her knowledge. This is despite us being relatively young (mid 30-s), willing to adopt a sibling group of 2 up to 4-5 years old, having suitable accommodation, income, etc. The children available for adoption were older or require special needs. She said she couldn't even "register our interest" as she would be told off for it by her bosses as there is clearly no realistic chance for us. So we either need to reconsider our requirements or wait until the situation changes. She also suggested we contact one more council in London, which we did, but got roughly the same response - very welcome to attend the info evening, but there are literally no children for us. She explained that going to independent agencies will not change anything, as the children that become available first go through the council and are adopted at that stage. Oh, another alternative would be to become foster carers with the view to adopt (but of course, there is no guarantee of adoption, and the child may be taken away from you at any time)!

Objectively, it's great news, that there is more "demand" than "supply" and that the children are being adopted, but of course on a personal level I feel very bitter. This is not what I expected after all this preparation to move to this step. 

Any advice, please? Do you know of councils in London that do accept prospective adopters?


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## Forgetmenot (Jun 22, 2010)

Hi panda girl 
It's very frustrating and a difficult time in the land of adoption.
There are indeed more adopters than children, but children are there and are being placed,
Just taking longer.
Some people have a short wait and others much longer.
If this is something that you want go for it, however just mentally prepare.  I wasn't for the wait and found it hard, but it's soon forgotten once they are home.
Dh and I like you had everything in place, happy to have three under 4 and ended up with one little bubba.... After numerous false starts, people say the right child is out there And as anoying as it is at the time, without all the grief, we wouldn't have him.... So if you can get started get took on, better to be approved and wait than wait to get started to still wait.  Try another authority, some have more kids than others and others that place out of authority.
Join adoption UK as a useful forum, though not always most sympathetic when feeling down some great advise and info, and also adoptionlink. You have to pay but the q and a sections is good as is their chat function.
Basically, if you are ready try and start.... Just another battle on the journey too motherhood that's well worth the tears lol x good luck x


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## becs40 (Apr 9, 2013)

We're not in London but our LA is the same at the moment, the point is it costs the LA quite a lot of money to assess and train prospective adopters. Because there is such a huge disparity between number of adopters waiting and the number of children the LA's can't endlessly spend the money on approving more adopters when they're not required.
Sadly the number of children waiting is not for the right reasons either, it's not because suddenly society has become a better place and these children are now safe with their birth families. More because the courts are having to be seen to be doing everything they can to enable children to stay within their birth families at it seems any cost.
I strongly suspect within the next 12 months or so things will change again and the majority of these children will be back in care again and the courts will be forced to reasses the current line of thinking.
It doesn't help you now but I guess what I'm saying is you can try other LA's but I would think it highly unlikely you'll be able to find one at the moment. If I were in your shoes I would try and decide first of all which agency you would want to apply with and then ring them every 2-3 months to see if they are then accepting new applications. 
It isn't a nice situation to be in but ultimately the LA's have very limited budgets and can't continue spending on prospective adopters when the chances of them finding a match is becoming increasingly less likely with less children coming into the system and yet they continue to approve more and more adopters.


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## scooby-doo_123 (Jun 19, 2010)

I have recently gone through the adoption process with stoke LA and they have over 80 children at the moment waiting to be adopted. Sadly it costs them a lot of money to place out of county. There are children out there who have sadly been removed and need forever families but it just depends where you live.
X


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## becs40 (Apr 9, 2013)

Scooby, they may have 80 children waiting at present but I suspect a large number of them will be over 5. For those under 5 how many adopters do they have looking for a child under 5? It's not that there aren't children out there, of course there are but there are less and less younger children and more and more adopters wanting younger children. All authorities will place out of area if they don't have their own adopters that they can match, they won't just keep these children until they wait for an adopter to apply in their own area and be suitable no matter what the cost.


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## ultrafirebug (Oct 22, 2010)

I would contact some other la's and ask the la you contacted what type of adopters they are accepting at the moment. Have you considered foster for adoption? Our la wouldn't accept us for adoption single child under 5 as they have too many approved adopters waiting but they did accept us on their foster to adopt scheme where we will also be approved for adoption up to the age of 6 so depending on the demand after approval will determine which path we go down. Good luck with your journey x


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## Sun Flower (Jul 14, 2008)

Foster to adopt sounds like a good route for you, I have heard very good things about the scheme and as others have said it gives you the option to review the children coming through while you are in the process and at the end of it all you will be approved as adopters and foster carers so you have more options.
During the next few months things might change, there is also national adoption month in November, so there is always a huge push nationally around this time.

Good luck x


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## katie c (Jun 15, 2009)

I was chatting with a worker at an adoption playgroup last week and she says a couple of years ago (when we adopted) there were a lot of children in care, up until recently hardly any, but it's starting to tilt a bit more back to a middle ground. But she said recent adopters have a had a heck of a long wait, and we're in Leeds, which is a massive LA.


I think things will get back on track bit it is so frustrating for people trapped in this limbo period


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## scooby-doo_123 (Jun 19, 2010)

As it happens there is a large number under 5. Sadly as LA operate in isolation it takes even longer for children to be placed. I know they are looking at forming "partnerships" with other authorities to try and get them placed without the massive financial cost it currently has to place out of area.


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## pandagirl (Jan 12, 2013)

Thanks for all your replies. 

It seems like the situations is roughly similar in all LAs, and I am not sure I see the reason for it to change in the near future. Although it may be a good idea to contact a few other LAs (just in case). If someone could recommend any LA in particular (ideally in/around London), that would be great. 

Re fostering to adopt, I am not sure it's for me. But I will look into it once again...


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## becs40 (Apr 9, 2013)

I think the reason it's likely to change is because the reason for the situation currently was due to a particular court ruling recently. That one ruling had the courts running scared and basically placing children with extended birth family rather than place for adoption as it was deemed birth family better at any cost.
Unfortunately for the vast majority of these children the likelihood is they will be removed again because they're still not having their needs met. Obviously once that starts to happen the courts will need to redress the balance and go back to issuing more placement orders if they feel birth family isn't the right option. 
Placement orders are at an all time low at the moment for thus reason so it will change but nobody knows when.
We have done foster to adopt but in a different way to normal. Whilst in principal it's a great scheme I would be highly worried about doing it when the courts are still being reluctant to issue placement orders.
Good luck but I really do think maybe trying again in 6 months you will get different responses.


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## Barbados Girl (Jul 7, 2012)

Try LAs that are in a consortium like the North London Adoption Consortium which covers Enfield, Barnet, Haringey, Hackney and Camden.


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## Tictoc (Aug 20, 2015)

Hi - depends where in London you are but you can contact any LA Within an hour of where you live. We applied to one of our neighbouring LA's just before Christmas last year (ie 9 months ago) and currently have our 9 month old LO upstairs. We did get pretty firm no's from most of the LA's we contacted though. You need to keep looking and view this as your first battle to overcome - adoption is not an easy journey and you need a bit of fight in you. I hope that doesn't sound patronising as not meant that way.

Good luck


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## mafergal (Jul 31, 2013)

Just to say, do not discount VA's. Of course LA's will place with there adopters if possible but in many cases children cannot be placed locally. Many are part of large sibling groups who have been split/can't be placed together/have siblings in local foster care etc. There are many reasons for safety that an LA wouldn't place locally. I'm not in London but I know many people who also went with a VA who have been placed with children under 4 very recently. If you haven't already I would strongly advise speaking to the VA's in your area & see I they are in a position to assess you. Many are in consortiums' with other LA's.

x


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## Little Miss Giggles (Apr 1, 2009)

I agree with others who say ring all your nearby LAs. We're approved with an LA over an hour away from where we live but it's a real advantage as they don't like to place within their local area, but it's cheaper for them to place with their own adopters. We are linked within 6 weeks of approval. Shop around!


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## moobags (Nov 13, 2013)

Hi

Whilst LAs are he ones with the children and will place the 'easy to place' children in house there are children that are placed out of area.  We are with a VA were approved in October and are one week off matching panel for two little boys under the age of 3 who are having to be placed out of area.  It may be worth looking at the VA route whilst you maybe in for a longer wait (or not) match wise you will at least have got the ball rolling with getting approved.  

Moo x


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## chadwick13 (Jun 30, 2010)

You're right and there are now more approved adopters than children, but there are still over 4,000 children waiting to be adopted. Could you think about changing your criteria or rethinking what ages, etc you may feel able to cope with?


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## GoofyGirl (Apr 1, 2013)

Whereabouts in London are you?


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## GoofyGirl (Apr 1, 2013)

There's also a south London consortium. Not sure exactly which LAs it covers but a quick Google search is sure to help.


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