# Where do i start??



## Ipswichbabe (May 17, 2005)

I am just lurking these boards unsure of what to do.....Parhaps i could get chatting to some of you.....

We have been ttc since Dec 01 and i am  nearly at the end of the journey, not sure i cant put with any more BFN, and want happiness in life.....

I have so many q's.....

But firstly, where do i start? Who do i contact? 
Is it done by your county that u live in, or do adoption agencies have national groups?

could one advise me where to start? xxx


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## Suzie (Jan 22, 2004)

hi

You can contact your local authority adoption unit and they can advise you what to do

there are also agencies , you might want to take a look at the BAAF website , i have popped the link below for you 

http://www.baaf.org.uk/res/agencydb/index.shtml

hope this helps

xx

/links


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## Ipswichbabe (May 17, 2005)

thx darling. I'll take a look at that site thx again xx


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## cindyp (Apr 7, 2003)

Most of us contacted our local Social Services authority.  I know I just got the telephone number out of the phone book but the link that Suzie has given you is a good one.

Good luck

Cindy


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## suffolklady77 (Aug 2, 2005)

hiya babe
i belive we have chatted at some point before I'm sorry your treatmant was unsuccesful but Ive found looking at these boards a real help and I am feeling very positive about the new journey we are about to take I hope this link helps http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/CareAndHealth/FosteringAndAdoption/ I am applying through essex as I have moved nearer the border with the badlands otherwise known as essex lol
-Gayle x

/links


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## Ipswichbabe (May 17, 2005)

hey, suffolk lady... its me!!! Nicki xxx LOL!!!  anyways, thinking about this agian,but i am scared...... silly huh worried too......
Thats question i have, can i apply to any adoption agency? meaning, do i have to apply to suffolk just coz i live here? We have familys living in cambs, bedforshire, herts, lincolnshire and norfolk, and possiable we could live in any of those countys in the future, i dont want to apply for suffolk, and then say move to cambs, only to find i have to re apply..... why is done in counties, is there a national agency??


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## Camly (Dec 12, 2006)

Hi Ipswich Lady

We are also just new to all this adoption malarky   we had a nosey on the net first of all for adoption info. we then got in touch with an agency, who then sent us info and we have now been given the name of a social worker to contact. we should hopefully have our prep night sometime sept/oct.

its all very daunting but exciting at the same time.

i think you can only apply to the authorities in your area? but as i say, i am new too so not 100% sure.

good luck with your journey. we will prob chat again  

take care

love camly xxx


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## Ipswichbabe (May 17, 2005)

thx calmy..... whats prep night? is that the 1st stage??


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## cindyp (Apr 7, 2003)

Hi girls

In answer to one of your questions, the reason they prefer you to apply locally is one of practical logistics.  Part of the adoption process is regular visits from the Social Worker in order to produce your Form F for the Adoption Panel.  If you think of it like a recruitment agent coming around your house to help you draw up a CV for a job interview.  The number of visits does vary but if you take ten visits as a reasonable example they are going to be less willing to travel hours to do these visits.  Also you will normally have to attend some kind of preparation course as Camly has mentioned which varies from LA to LA, ours was done in a consecutive 3 day period, other people have had a few days stretched over a period of a few weeks.  However you don't want to be travelling forever to get to them as they can be intensive in themselves.

There is no national Adoption Agency that I am aware of, the local authorities are done on a county basis and each authority has to follow national government guidelines.  I'm not so up on private agencies as I did not use one.

Once you are approved you are not obliged to adopt within your own area but most agencies will want to wait a while before they pass your details onto other agencies throughout the country.  To use the job analogy again, it is like when your employer has paid for you to have extensive training they would not be happy to see you take your skills to another employer and might make you complete a long notice period.

The process roughly goes like this (it can vary slightly in order with different agencies):

Initial contact by you
You receive a brief application form which you complete
Visit from Social Worker to confirm your interest.
You are invited to attend a prepration course which gives you an introduction to various aspects of adoption.
You are assigned a Social Worker who will get you through to the adoption panel.
She visits you on a regular basis (eg once a fortnight) to get information together to complete your Form F.  This is basically a document providing information about you (as I said before like a detailed CV but more personal).  It will cover things like your personalities, your practical and emotional support network, your education, your house, how many children you want to adopt and the age range.
Your Form F is submitted to an Adoption Panel group who will review it, an official Panel appointment is made which you will be invited to attend and they will decide whether you are suitable to become adoptive parents.
However I want to point out that people rarely get to the panel stage if there are problems with their suitability as they would come up and be sorted out during the home visits by the social worker.

Best of luck with your decisions.

love 
Cindy


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## Ipswichbabe (May 17, 2005)

Thx for that info... Info from 1st hand experience is better than throwling thro internet pages. thx. xx
So what u are saying, is that if we were to move frm suffolk, we could face longer waits??
If i applied in suffolk, and than the suffolk agency match us a child from sufflk, could we still move from suffolk, with no problems, or does the child then hav to stay in suffolk


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## ♥ M J ♥ (Apr 17, 2004)

Hi

The agencies like you to not be planning to move house for a few years- this is mainly because a child placed with you will have move several times before and also you know yourself how stressful a house move is for an adult let alone a child!

you can apply to any agency within 50miles of your home, we have personally gone for an local SS dept 40miles north of us as we have more chance of getting a child placed with us from them as children will not be placed within an area close to birth family.

I think your best off looking at the BAAF website and looking at ones within your area- you can with either a LA (local auth- social services dept) or a VA( voluntary agency like Banardo's)

good luck

Mez
x


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## suffolklady77 (Aug 2, 2005)

hi sweets oooops i knew the name looked familier!
-Gayle xx


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