You may have heard about adoption in the news. Sometimes famous celebrities like Madonna or Angelina Jolie make headlines for adopting a child from another country. It’s also been in the news because some people think the adoption process needs to be improved.

What is adoption?

Adoption is an opportunity for children to grow up in a loving family. Adopted children love their adoptive parents but, as they grow up, often begin to ask questions about their birth parents and wonder why they weren’t able to stay with them. Adoption means that a child becomes a full member of a new family and their new parents become legally responsible for them. Adoptive parents love and care for their new child, just as if they had been born into the family.

Why are children adopted?

It’s a way of providing a child with a new family if they are in care or if they can’t be brought up by their birth parents. Birth parents are not always able to look after their child, and adoption is thought to be in the child’s best interests.

Adoptive parents may have children already, or they might not be able to have children of their own, but feel committed to bringing up a child. Around 4,000 children require adoption each year in the UK.

What does it mean for children?

All legal ties with their original parents are cut, and the child will probably take the family name of their new parents. But they may still have feelings about their birth parents. The bonds between adopted children and their adoptive parents can become as strong, or stronger, as any bond between children and parents.

Growing up after adoption

Growing up is a journey when we find out who we are and work out who we want to be. This can be more complicated for people who have been adopted.

“Everyone at some point will look back on their life and wonder about how they became the people they are,” says Lynn Charlton, chief executive of national charity After Adoption.

Along with other kids, identity is just one of the issues young adopted people have to deal with. Children adopted from the care system can face extra challenges in adjusting to adoption, which can have an effect on how they feel with life.

Stephen’s experience

Stephen Austin, an adopted young person, told us: “I’ve always looked at it as a jigsaw puzzle with one piece missing and, until you find out who your parents are and where you come from, that jigsaw puzzle isn’t really complete. I found it difficult coming to terms with the fact I had been adopted. I remember it to be a very isolating time”.

Going to school

Going to school can be a tough time for some children who feel different for one reason or another. That could be for very many reasons such as having a learning challenge or physical disability. Adopted children may feel completely happy at school but some may feel that they are different from other kids.

Lynn Charlton explains: “Things like ‘normal’ school activities, where a teacher might say ‘bring in a picture of your family or a baby photograph’, has a greater significance for adopted children. They have the family that they live with but, also, have this other family that they were born into, that they probably know about, and they sometimes carry both around in their heads at the same time.”

Charity support 

One of the ways After Adoption supports adopted children and young people is to help them understand and deal with feelings of confusion, if they have them. With projects around the UK, the charity encourages children to express themselves creatively through art, music, drama and play. Young adopted people have also been involved in producing support materials. A group of young people from Teesside created ‘10 Top Tips on Adoption’, a leaflet ‘for teachers, youth workers, social workers and anyone who needs to know’. Another group of young adopted people from Newcastle created ‘The Making of U’, an illustrated book to help young children understand about a background of adoption. Another resource is ‘Adoption Voices’, a DVD illustrating the views of young adopted people on adoption.