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Post by ladybug on May 6, 2014 15:37:18 GMT
As DH & I are still new to this I was just wondering how soon any of you applied for your adoption order and how soon after the application was the hearing? i know we haven't even been matched just yet but the more I read about AO hearing and celebration hearing the more curious I become.  Ladybug xxx |
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Post by chotimonkey on May 6, 2014 15:52:31 GMT
after lo is placed you have regular visits from your and los sw... then there are lac (looked after child) reviews that are chaired by an independent reviewing officer, usually if everyone is happy after 10 weeks you are given the go ahead to apply for your ao, you download the forms and submit them with all the relevant paper work to your placing authority. then it takes a little while to get a date within the court schedule as AOs come after all the other hearings involved in taking children into care in priority, as they should do. you should be given a date, then the sws submit their paperwork. at this stage bp are sent a form informing them of their childrens hearing and they are given the opportunity to apply for leave to object..
at the hearing if bp dont object the order is passed and you are given adate for your celebration hearing, you are issued a short birth certificate and can phone and get along certificate at the same time, then apply for passports
if bps do ask for leave to object often it is delayed as you get a newdate where bp present their case... thier application is usually turned down at this pouint and the ao is passed etc
if they do get right of appeaal they can appeal against the ao, but have tp prove tat their lives have changed completely and that it would be in the best interests of the child to be removed from ao...this pretty much never happens...
hope this helps
both of the dates of our hearings were about 2 months after application
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Post by kstar on May 6, 2014 17:35:01 GMT
Starlet was placed with me last May and I was finally given the go ahead to apply for my AO in December. Apparently with older children (starlet was 6 on placement) they normally wait longer to make sure they don't need to intervene getting support at school etc before the legalities go through. It was quite frustrating for me because I felt Starlet desperately needed the security of the order - she knew from her adoption prep sessions that it needed to happen and that it would mean the end of SW visits.
Paperwork was received in court in December, the actual hearing was in early April, but because there were no hearings over the Easter period our celebration hearing wasn't until Friday.
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Post by ladybug on May 6, 2014 18:49:44 GMT
Thank you Choti & Kstar helpful as ever! X x
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Post by gilreth on May 6, 2014 21:17:04 GMT
Sore point for us at moment - applied in early February (3 months in) but due to various issues at courts awaiting third date for hearing. But others on my prep course have had theirs go through in about 2 - 3 months.
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Post by damson on May 6, 2014 21:46:58 GMT
We went to court a year to the day after meeting our children.
It didn't feel slow - at that time, many families went to court about 18 months in.
With older children, life is very unpredictable, and support is easier to get while the children are still LAC.
Just occasionally, families will convert an adoptive placement into a foster placement for this reason.
It isn't a matter of not loving the child, or letting them down, it's a clear admission of how much care is needed.
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Post by milly on May 6, 2014 22:04:20 GMT
We adopted years ago, under the old system but basically you can apply to adopt once 10 weeks has passed ( think it used to be 13?). Obviously,as others have said, there might be reasons to hold off for a while, but I am not aware that ss can actually stop you if you want to go ahead. Once the application is in, the court require documents to be completed by ss and set the deadlines. I don't know how long you then wait, it might be different from when we adopted. With dd1 I was desperate to get the order and she was adopted less than 5 months after placement. Didn't worry so much with dd2 as I knew that she was ours regardless so it was 10 months later.
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Post by ladybug on May 6, 2014 22:13:48 GMT
During our assessment I asked our assessing SW who decided when to apply for the AO and was told it was entirely up to us after the 10 weeks when we applied for it. When I asked I assumed that our SW, us and the child's SW would have a meeting to discuss how things were going and decide between us if it was the right time to apply.
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Post by kstar on May 6, 2014 22:26:07 GMT
In theory it is the adopter's decision and I considered putting the paperwork in after my three month review meeting (I expected them to say I could apply and threw a strop when they didn't). However, in reality the IRO made it clear I would be going against their recommendations and that this would be reflected in their reports. I was left with little choice in the end.
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Post by swimchic on May 7, 2014 8:34:11 GMT
We submitted the papers after our second review.But it was still quick.. Our timeline was as follows
September 2012- Started prep group (old system)
November 2012 - Allocated social worker
April 2013 - Approved, two days later told about Pink
August 2013 - Matching panel and Pink came home.
January 2014 - Submitted papers for AO
Feb 2014 - First hearing. Birth Mum didn't contest
March 2014 - Adoption order granted
April 2014 - Celebration hearing, everything done!
Swimchic
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