We joined 21 other VAAs across the UK to create an advice guide around adopting children with additional needs.
Alongside this we thought we would shed some light on the meaning of ‘additional needs’ which we felt important to include within this advice guide.
Could you adopt a child with additional needs?
What does ‘additional needs’ mean?
The term covers a very wide spectrum of needs and behaviours and it’s often very misinterpreted or misunderstood.
All children can have additional needs at times. These could be to do with their development, learning, communication, behaviour, or emotional well-being.
There are also children with physical disabilities that may require support including adaptations to their home.
Neurodiversity is also often referred to as as an additional need.
Additional needs can be called Special Educational Needs or Disabilities, referred to as SEN and SEND.
Additional needs can be short-term or long-term, as some children may need additional help for a short period of time while others may need it for longer and some lifelong into adulthood.
It is usual practice for adoption social workers to have a discussion with their prospective adopters about what they feel they could manage as parents when meeting a child’s needs.
The training and preparation received during assessment helps prospective adopters understand the needs of the children waiting and explore their own strengths and abilities as a parent.
It is often difficult to explain in detail exactly what each additional need is for the children we work with, as every child is unique.
Their needs will also change as they grow, just as all of our needs change as we age.
It may sound daunting, but adopting a child with additional needs is incredibly rewarding and gives them a chance to flourish.
Many of the thousands of children in care waiting for an adoptive family who have additional needs wait much longer than other children.
We want to help change that.
In this guide, adopters from voluntary adoption agencies (VAAs), share their experiences of their unique adoption journeys about the joys of adopting a child with additional needs and offer practical advice to prospective adopters.
Download our full guide here and let us know what you think!