Why is private adoption illegal in the UK?

Doodlestuff

In both the US and the UK, you can immediately become guardian of a relative, often with only a brief court appearance to have the judge sign off on it. However, it is usually followed up by an investigation by social workers.

Kinship adoption always goes through the courts in your example, because once the custodial parent has passed away, the state is the guardian of the child.

Private adoption SHOULD be illegal in the US. Babies shouldn't be a profit making venture. Religious organizations deliberately move young women to other states to give birth so that they can circumvent notification and other laws. If private adoption was made illegal, this wouldn't happen.

H******

In-family adoption is always put before stranger adoption, so social services would organize all that is required with that.

Private adoption involves independent businesses that make money off the backs of babes. That's illegal and unethical

All adoption is handled as a social service for the needs of the children; never as a money-spinner (multi-billion, yes, billion, dollar business) as it is in the States - that puts the paying customer and the broker first :(

Dido

Private adoption refers to the fact that non-government agencies can't place relinquished children for adoption. Social services will still try to place relatives with family.

Kabanga

No it's not illegal. Social services will cary out certain checks and look into the potential adopters lives and background. The best interests of the child is always at the forefront of any care or adoption preceedings and all factors will be taken into consideration.

Also worth noting, the government and courts take the view that the best place for a child is with thier mother - if this is not possible extended family are then considered before thinking about outside adoptions

Pip

Relatives can adopt a baby or child orphaned but they still get treated the same as anybody else adopting due to private adoption being illegal. There are different ways of doing this such as private fostering which is legal in the UK but if they adopt the child they still have to go through social services to be approved to adopt. They can also be legal guardians and usually the parents will name whom they want to be legal guadian to their child/children if they die whilst the child/children is/are minors in a will. Again they would still have to go through social services to be approved and accepted to adopt but it can and does happen.

Private adoption was stopped basically to tighten up adoption and to stop people who shouldn't adopt from adopting but obviously some still slip the net. Also it makes it easier for adoptees to search once they become adults to search whereas with private adoption it was harder to search.

Melissa Swan

There's a loophole - you can foster privately, then after a year, you can apply to adopt. The child can just go straight to the adopters, be adopted in all but name. You have to notify the authorities but theres nothing they can do about it so long as they're not abusing or neglecting the child. After a year you apply for an adoption order. You have to be checked out but its not the massive home study of usual adoptions.
If the child is a relative they have to live with you for 3 years before you can apply to adopt.

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