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Adoption case studies

Photograph of two teenagers and an adult in a kitchen cooking a meal

Adopters come from all walks of life and everyone's circumstances are different. People have many different reasons for deciding that adoption is right for them and their family.

We asked our adoptive families to tell us about their experiences of the adoption process and the support they've received from Norfolk Adoption Service.

Rich's adoption story

After a life full of adversity, including losing his leg, Rich and his wife were both desperate to become parents. Ellie really wanted to be a mum, but she had no real desire to be pregnant. For them, the obvious choice was adoption.

"It was really interesting to see the broad range of other couples and people who were going through the adoption at the same time as us, and it really highlighted that really anyone can adopt."

Anthony and Paul's story

Whether you're single, same sex, heterosexual, adoption is for everyone.

Paul and Anthony went into the process with a lot of fears and concerns that being a same sex couple, there would be misconceptions or prejudices. But adoption doesn't discriminate. All it cares about is that you can provide a loving, stable home to a children who desperately need it.

Sara and John's story

Sara and John saw some children's profiles on the Norfolk Adoption Service web pages online. The Adoption Service was searching for the siblings' forever homes. Seeing the ad really opened their eyes to the possibilities of adopting more than one child, of taking them home and loving them. Their children fill the house up with with noise and laughter. They just love being part of the family.

"There's a completeness to it. This is my life. This is what I wanted and I'm now there living it."

Imogen's adoption story

Imogen's family is unique. "One of the nice things about our family that makes us unique is that none of us are biologically related. I have a stepdaughter who was born by sperm donor and she was a part of the process the whole way along. Our kids love each other and they've been a great support system."

"People have all sorts of feelings about adoption. To me, it seems really, really clear. There are so many kids who need a home and if you have space and love and time to give to a child in need, it just feels like a no brainer to me. To know that we were able to take in a child who needed a family and we could give him that for the rest of his life, is far and away the best thing that I will have done with my life."

Stacey and Jeff's story

Stacey and Jeff first thought about adoption 9 years ago, but the time wasn't right. They came back to it a few years later, and everything had changed. They were in a better place, and were ready. They adopted a little boy, and he's changed their lives.

They will never forget the day they first met their son. "He just turned round and he gave this biggest grin. It was almost like a knowing, cheeky, 'I'm going to have you.' "

David's adoption story

David was going through the fostering assessment process when his assessing social worker wondered if really, what he was looking for is a family of his own. Adoption was perfect for him.

"There can be a lot of misconceptions about adoption, I think, you'll never find out about it properly unless you ask. I went into adoption with a very clear idea in my head about age, gender, in terms of all of those things." David's son is completely different to what he thought his family might look like. "I was encouraged to keep an open mind. I'm very glad that I trusted the process, I trusted my social worker."

Leanne and Maria's story

Foster to adopt, or early permanence as it is also called, is when adoptive parents foster their child to start off with. This means the child lives with their new parents straight away, rather than with a foster family while the adoption process goes through court. Leanne and Maria explain how this worked for them.

"The moment we saw her in the hospital, I felt like a mum straightaway. We're all she knows. And I think that's a massive benefit when you're bringing up a child."