National Care Standards: Adoption Agencies

Children and young people are entitled to grow up as part of a loving family that meets their needs through childhood and beyond. In most circumstances, this will be the child’s birth family and may include extended family members. For other children this may be achieved through adoption. Adoption is for life and adoptive parents have full parental responsibilities for their child.Adoption is changing. For example, more children who are adopted are older and have more complex needs; a number of adoptions are of children from other countries; step-parents may adopt their partner’s child; and more adopted children stay in contact or continue to receive information about members of their birth family.