Who can adopt?

In order to meet the needs of the child, adopters have to be 21 years or older and able to provide a child with a family who can support him/her throughout childhood.

Manchester Adoption Society welcomes single people and couples in a long term committed relationship, irrespective of sexuality. MAS also welcomes people who have children already.

Most importantly, we are looking for people who are willing to open their home to a child or children and provide them with love stability and security. That really is, the most important thing!

How much does it cost?

MAS is a registered charity and is a not-for profit organisation. However, as a charity, MAS is reliant on donations and support from Local Authorities to survive. As a result, there are a few charges made during the adoption process but these are kept to a minimum and are to cover costs incurred by the organisation.

We charge £50 per person as an administration fee for the relevant checks which we are required to carry out by law e.g. criminal record check. If you would like MAS to provide lunch at the preparation groups we ask for a donation of charge £19.50 per person. This covers the costs of lunch and refreshments at the three Preparation Groups potential adopters attend.

Additionally, your GP will require a fee of around £75 per person for a medical.

Everything else during the adoptive process is free to UK adopters. This includes home study assessment, post-placement support and post-adoption support.

How long does the process of adoption take?

We aim to work to National Minimum Standards but individual circumstances are different.

When you request our information pack, it will be sent by return post. You will be invited to two information evenings within two months. Following your attendance at those meetings and you confirming you wish to proceed with MAS, we will invite you to three preparation days where you will be able to find out more about adoption.

On successful completion of the preparation groups you will be allocated a Social Worker and after this we aim to complete your application within 7 months. 

What is involved in the adoption process?

The first step is to request an information pack which will explain the adoption process in greater detail. If, after you’ve read all of the information, you would like to find out more, we invite you to an information evening. On this first evening you will have the opportunity to meet experienced adopters who will tell you about their experiences. If you are a couple, both of you must attend the information evening.

After the first information evening, if you are still interested in adopting, you will be invited to a second information evening, where you will have the opportunity for a more in-depth discussion with a social worker. Again, if you are a couple, both of you must attend the information evening.

Following your expression of interest in adopting through MAS, statutory and personal references are obtained and you have a medical with your own GP.  From there, you will be invited to preparation groups and after that you will be allocated a Social Worker with whom you will go through the rest of the process; completion of a home study report. At the end of this (approximately 7 months later) you and your home study will be considered by an independent adoption panel and they will make a recommendation regarding your suitability to adopt.

There are two teams of social workers at MAS – the Adoption Team and the Concurrent Planning Team. At the information evenings you will find out about both teams and after the preparation groups you will be asked to decide which team best suits your circumstances. For more information about concurrent planning go to the concurrent planning page.

At MAS, we do not close the door on our adopters once the child has been placed. We provide ongoing, post adoption support as a part of our service.