Your adoption questions answered

What is adoption?

Stockton Council looks after children and young people who cannot live with their own families. Some of the children will need permanent substitute families. A small number of these children will need am adoptive family that will enable these children to have a stable and secure upbringing.

Could I become an adopter?

Adopters come from all walks of life and all kinds of people may have the commitment, skills and experience to offer a child a positive experience of family life.

You have to be at least 21 years old to adopt and couples in a relationship should have been together for at least three years. You don't have to live in Stockton-on-Tees to adopt through Stockton Borough Council but we aim to recruit adopters within a 50 mile radius of Stockton-on-Tees.

What support will I receive?

Support to yourself comes from many different sources and will be tailor made to your particular needs. This could include social work visits, support groups and training events

What financial support will I receive?

There are various ways that we can help and financially support you which may include:

A one-off payment to contribute towards purchase of essential equipment during the early stages of a child's placement.
Paying reasonable expenses associated with the introduction process.
The costs associated with direct contact with a child's birth family after adoption.