16 October 2025
National Adoption Week has taken place in the UK since 1997 and this year it runs from 20 – 26 October 2025. Its purpose is to promote and raise awareness about different pathways to parenthood through adoption. It also seeks to highlight the positive benefits of adoption for children, families and society and show how adoption can improve the lives of children and those who adopt them.
Why Adopt?
For many, the chance to raise a child is a lifelong dream, to nurture a young mind, to encourage their dreams and watch their child grow into a young adult. Adoption can enable those dreams to become reality. Whether it is a step-parent adopting their partner’s child, or an individual or couple wanting to raise a child but who is unable to conceive, adoption gives many people the opportunity to achieve their goals of a much-wanted family.
What Is the significance of an Adoption Order?
An Adoption Order under English law confers legal parentage and parental responsibility upon an adoptive parent in respect of a child. It is used in a variety of situations, from an individual or couple choosing to adopt through an agency to a step-parent adopting their partner’s child, to a non-birth parent obtaining parental status and rights after a child’s birth via assisted conception. An adoption order is designed to provide life-long permanence and stability for an adopted child and provide them with parents committed to meeting their needs.
The Adoption and Children Act 2002 (‘the ACA 2002’) is the main legal framework governing adoption orders under English law. Under the ACA 2002, paramount consideration is given to the welfare of the child throughout their life. When determining an application for adoption the English court or adoption agency must have regard to the following:
- That any delay in determining an application for adoption is likely to prejudice the child’s welfare.
- The child’s ascertainable wishes and feelings regarding the decision (taking into account their age and understanding).
- The child’s particular needs.
- The likely effect on the child (throughout their life) of having ceased to be a member of the original family and becoming an adopted person.
- The child’s age, sex, background and any of the child’s characteristics which are considered relevant.
- Any harm which the child has suffered or is at risk of suffering.
- The relationship which the child has with relatives, with any person with is a prospective adopter with whom the child is placed and with any other person with a relevant relationship to the child including:
- (i) the likelihood of any such relationship continuing and the value to the child of this.
- (ii) the ability and willingness of any of the child’s relatives, or of any such person, to provide the child with a secure environment to ensure their welfare, needs and development.
- (iii) the wishes and feelings of any of the child’s relatives, or of any such person, regarding the child.
In deciding whether to make an adoption order, the court must also have regard to the whole range of powers available to it under the ACA 2002 and the Children Act 1989. Additionally, the court must not make an order unless the benefits for the child outweigh not making an order.
Types of Adoption
Adoption can take different forms and it provides a range of options in practice.
Public Adoption through an adoption agency is the most common form of adoption. It aims to provide safety, stability and belonging for some of the most vulnerable children in society, children who have suffered from abuse, neglect and family breakdowns. Adoption provides these children with the chance of renewal with a new family, a fresh chapter in life and the opportunity to make new memories. Public Adoption is therefore a meaningful form of family building which seeks to improve and enrich the lives of children who might otherwise be caught in the care system without a strong personal family support network. Children in care are two to three times less likely to reach higher education by age 22, and are more likely to experience homelessness, with 1 in 3 of children who leave care being made homeless within two years of leaving care.
Step-Parent adoption (i.e. private adoption) is another form of adoption.This enables a non-birth parent or a parent’s new partner, in appropriate circumstances, to formally adopt a child. A Step-Parent Adoption Order legally recognises the child’s Step-Parent as their adoptive legal parent and enables them to exercise parental responsibility for the child and make important decisions to secure their care and welfare (which is shared equally with the child’s parent).
International adoption of children creates complex legal issues. Great care is therefore required to effectively manage the various laws and regulations concerning adoption and legal parentage across different jurisdictions, potential criminal sanctions and citizenship, nationality and immigration issues that arise. Whilst some forms of international adoption are automatically recognised under English law, this is not the case for all foreign adoptions. Even if a foreign adoption order is not automatically recognised it may, however, still be possible to obtain an order from the English Family Court recognising a foreign adoption under its inherent jurisdiction albeit this can create complex legal issues in practice.
To find out more about an order recognising a foreign adoption under English law click here.
Specialist Family & Fertility Law
Specialist legal advice is advisable when considering or engaged in an adoption to ensure that relevant legal criteria and procedures are understood and navigated successfully and that forms and paperwork are completed properly. This maximises the chances of an effective family building plan and adoption application. Specialist legal advice can also help to alleviate any concerns about dealing with adoption social workers, the family court or judges and help provide peace of mind.
Specialist fertility and family law advice and representation identifies and safeguards against an inherent range of legal and practical issues and risks to help maximise successful outcomes and navigate:
- Complex personal and family situations.
- Legally determine and recognize an individual’s legal parenthood (e.g. via an adoption order, recognition of a foreign adoption order, a declaration of parentage).
- Resolve a dispute about paternity/legal parentage and related issues for a child (whether the child is conceived naturally or following assisted conception).
- Rectify an individual’s birth certificate (e.g. add a birth parent’s name).
- Legally resolve arrangements for the care and upbringing of a child (e.g. contact, residence, parental responsibility, specific issue or prohibited steps, adoption).
Do you need a fertility or family lawyer? Do you need help with family building, adoption, a paternity dispute, obtaining and exercising parental responsibility, bringing or defending legal proceedings concerning a child? If you would like to discuss your situation or you would like specialist legal advice contact Louisa Ghevaert by email louisa@louisaghevaertassociates.co.uk or by telephone+44 (0)20 7965 8399.
Images: Louisa Ghevaert CEO & Founder Louisa Ghevaert Associates
For more information about Louisa Ghevaert click here.
