Our Children

There are many reasons why children sometimes can’t live with their family.

We need adopters for children of all ages.

In most cases, children who are waiting to be adopted are already in care and placed with a foster carer until they can be placed with an adoptive family.

We place children’s needs first in our decisions and actions. This means that we are looking for the best parents for our children, rather than children for parents.

About our children

All our children have had a difficult start in life and have experienced loss and trauma. As a result, many adopted children become confused and angry about what has happened to them. They need an enormous level of commitment, love and attention to help them recover. Their experiences may affect them for a long time and be revisited at different stages in their lives.

All adopted children need parents who:

can put their child’s needs first
who are willing to learn specific technics to help them parent their adopted child or children

Meet our children

Although we need adopters for children of all ages and backgrounds, we especially needs adopters for brothers and sisters, children aged four and older and children with additional needs.

Brothers and sisters

Lots of children who need an adoptive family, are waiting to be adopted with their brother(s) and/or sister(s). Wherever possible, we strive to keep brothers and sisters together so that they can continue to grow up together when they are adopted.

Although adopting more than one child can seem like an extra challenge, some people prefer this way of growing their family. Some advantages for adopting brothers and sisters together are:

Your children have a biological connection
You only need to complete the adoption process once
You only need to take adoption leave once
You help your children maintain one of the most important relationships of their lives

Support and training

When you start your adoption journey with us, we will talk to you about the possibility of adopting brothers and sisters. If you are interested in this option, you will be invited to our specialised training.

You will always have access to further training and support from our dedicated post adoption support team. You may also be eligible for financial support, depending on your personal circumstances and the needs of your children.

Children over four

Most of our children are aged between birth and seven years old. Most of these older children are waiting to be adopted with their younger brother(s) and sister(s).

Sadly, children over four wait longer to be adopted than their younger peers and some older children are never adopted. This means that, through no fault of their own they stay in the care system for the rest of their childhood.

When you start your adoption journey with us, we will talk to you about the age of the child or children you would like to adopt. We will encourage you to think about the needs of the children as well as what you can offer. Older children can be very successfully adopted. There are also some advantages to adopting an older child, for example you will have more information about their health and development.

Children with additional needs

Many children who need to be adopted have an additional need. Every child is unique. Their additional needs could mean that they have a mild learning difficulty, a developmental delay, or a severe physical disability.

When you start your adoption journey with us, we will talk to you about what you can offer a child with additional needs. Our children need adopters who can accept that, in most cases, there be a certain level of uncertainty around their medical history. For example, if your child has been exposed to alcohol or drugs in the womb may not be known unless their birth mother reports their drug and alcohol habits. Some children have experienced emotional, physical or sexual abuse or neglect, or they have witnessed other family members being abused. This trauma may also have an impact on their development.

Many children with additional needs will flourish in a supportive, stable and loving adoptive family.

Support and training

When you adopt with us you will receive training on some of the most commons additional needs and how you can support your child to manage them. For example, we offer Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder training to all adopters.

You may also be eligible for financial support, depending on your personal circumstances and the needs of your child.

As your child grows, you may notice additional needs that you didn’t know about before. Our post adoption support team will always be here for you and your family. This could include:

Counselling, information, and advice on all aspects of adoptive parenting
Therapeutic support from Adopt Birmingham’s clinical psychologists
Access to therapeutic support via the Adoption Support Fund
Support and advice in accessing other statutory agencies or services
Pupil Premium funding for school aged children

Who are the children who need adopting?

Currently, in 2024, there are over 100 children in Birmingham that need safe, loving, and permanent families. All the children have been separated from their first families at birth or in early childhood and all of them will have been in foster care.

Adopt Birmingham are responsible for all children in Birmingham who need an adoptive family and we seek to place them with our adopters first. We have children of all ages who are waiting to be adopted.

When looking for adoptive families, we place the children’s needs first in our decisions and actions. That’s why we prioritise matching families based on the requirements of the children.

Currently, our greatest need includes:

Families willing to adopt children between the ages of 4-10 years old.
Families prepared to keep sibling groups together.
Diverse families from various ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds.
Families capable of supporting children with health uncertainties.
Families who could offer Early Permanence placements.

Many of the children we work with have had tough starts in life. As a result, many children become confused and angry about what has happened to them. They need families who can commit to providing them with the enormous level of commitment, care, love, and patience they deserve to heal and thrive.

Latest available data from You Can Adopt shows there are 1,980 children waiting for adoption in England, with 990 of these (50%) waiting longer than 18 months since entering care.

Children over five wait 16 months longer to be adopted from care than children under five
Children with a disability wait nine months longer to be adopted from care than children without a disability
Children in sibling groups wait seven months longer to be adopted from care than single children
Black and mixed heritage children wait two months longer than average to be adopted from care, with delays caused because there are not enough Black and mixed heritage adopters coming forward to adopt children from the same background.

If you have a secure and loving home to offer a child, we encourage you to consider adoption. To learn more about adoption, attend one of our information events where we will share with you the adoption process, the children who need families, and how Adopt Birmingham can support you every step of the way.

We understand that the decision to adopt is a significant one, and we are here to answer any questions you may have. When you feel ready to take the next step, we look forward to hearing from you.

Information Events

Whether you’re starting your research or you’re ready to start the adoption process, our adoption information events will help you to make informed decisions about your adoption journey.

Events