adoption?

[amylnb]

hi i was hoping to get a little help, my boyfriend sister and her husband are going to prison and she is pregnant, we just had a call off a solicitor asking if we would have the baby when it is born we accepted as all the other family selfishly said no and i feel it is not fair that the baby should go into care... does anyone no the process etc thanks

[redcrx]

are they asking that you adopt the child or that you just look after it whilst they are in prison?

you would need to think serously about it, what if you became mum to this child and the birth mother wanted the child back on her release? could you hand the child back?

[newtron]

We just adopted two little girls who are my wife's great nieces. It is a similar situation. The parents are not in prison right now, but have been in and out of jail for the last couple of years. The girls were taken away and put in foster care. As with your situation, nobody else would take them.

We have had them for over 6 months now, and we are all getting adjusted very well. We have permanent custody, but the parental rights have not severed. So it is possible that they can try to get their children back in the future. If they were to get their children back, we would be devastated, but I still feel we are doing the right thing. The way I saw it was that if we are in a position to help these children (who are the only truly innocent people in this situation), we have to! Sure we might get hurt , but we are still helping the girls, and that is the most important point.

As for the process, I am in the US, so I am sure the process is different. Sorry I can't help. Good luck! You are doing the right thing!

[zzxxee]

depend what they are going to prison for and how long

[mimie]

Hi amylnb,
You will need to be assessed and this is a long intrusive process. Social care will look at your backgrounds, relationship, financial situation - everything. You will need to provide good references etc.
When is the baby due and can you say what the prison sentences are likely to be?
There are several options - you could be considered as friends and family foster carers for this child. Or it may be that the child would not be returned to the parents in the longer term and a decision will be made between social care and the courts as to whether it is in the best interest of the child to be adopted - this is usually the case with infants who are unable to be returned to their birth parents - it really does depend on what they have done and how long they will be in prison for. The assessment process can take many months as does the longer term planning for the child. Generally a child that cannot be with their parents from birth is adopted within about 12-18 months. Hope this helps.