The National Adoption Service promotes and supports best practice in adoption across Wales. If you're thinking of adopting or simply want more information, you're in the right place.
There are many children who need adoptive families in Wales.
The adoption process can be a long and emotional road, but the reward at the end makes it all worthwhile. Do your research, speak to the right people and be prepared. Once you understand each step in the adoption process, you’ll be able to enjoy your journey. And you won’t be making it alone. There's always help at hand.
Hannah is the Adoption Register Manager at the National Adoption Service and has been a social worker for twenty years.
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Tasha, from mid-west Wales, first considered adoption when she was just a teenager. Moved by documentaries about orphanages across the world, she wanted to give a home to children who needed it. After becoming a teacher, Tasha saw firsthand the number of children who needed loving and supportive homes in the UK - and realised her dream of adopting may be slightly closer to home.
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Faith met her husband ten years ago and adopting children had always been in their plans. After several miscarriages the couple, decided the time was right for them to adopt. The couple had begun researching adoption before going on their honeymoon to Norway. During their trip they also decided to explore fertility treatment, but after an unsuccessful attempt, they decided they would get back to Wales and begin their adoption journey. In 2022, the couple adopted a large sibling group.
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Clare and Gareth adopted a sibling group of a boy and two girls who were 4, 3 and 1 years old when they came to their new home in south Wales. The couple wanted a big family and when they realized wouldn't be able to have their family naturally, they decided to adopt a sibling group of three - though Gareth would have easily taken seven or eight - to fulfil that dream.
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Rosie and Paul knew from the beginning of their adoption journey that age would not be a factor for them. Initially specifying an age range of 0-6 years old, the couple decided that having a baby was not the most important factor - the opportunity to create memories and a great life for a child was.
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Greg, who works in IT by day and is a DJ by night, was adopted at almost seven years old. He has only a few childhood memories from before his adoption, mostly of his time in foster care.
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From an early age, Lowri, a solo adopter from Vale, Valleys and Cardiff Adoption realised that love didn't have to be blood-related - and that family meant more than DNA. After babysitting for a family whose child was adopted, then 16-year-old Lowri knew she wanted to adopt.
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Talking about having children and adoption on a first date isn't right for everyone. But for Martyn, 35, and Lee 40, the idea of starting a family made them feel complete. The couple adopted a five-year-old boy through Western Bay Adoption Service in 2018. Three years later, the pair adopted a four-year-old boy.
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At first, Damian and his partner intended to adopt one child. But after realising how many sibling groups were waiting to find a new home, they decided to adopt three-year-old twin boys.
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Having a child naturally wasn't possible for the couple, so they underwent IVF and had their first son. Despite the difficulties and emotional exhaustion of previous unsuccessful IVF treatments, the desire to have a larger family didn't go away, so three years later they decided to adopt and give their son a brother.
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Meinir and her partner chose to keep siblings together, giving a loving home to a four-year-old boy and his two-year-old sister through the Mid and West Wales Adoption Service in 2016.
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Karyn was determined to have a child and decided to go down the route of a single adopter. She adopted an 11-month-old girl through the Western Bay Adoption Service, who came to her new home just before Christmas in 2019.
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Initially, Christopher's wife was sceptical about adopting but after hours of research, she decided it was the perfect opportunity. The couple adopted a three-year-old girl through the Western Bay Adoption Service in 2015 and couldn't wait to start this new chapter in their lives.
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When the couple, first met Ellen she was still in nappies at the age of seven, had never had a book read to her, used to freeze at the sound of a loud noise and hid behind the sofa whenever she felt afraid - but despite her complex needs, Amanda and Martin knew from the moment they read about Ellen's story that she was their daughter.
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Single parent, Sarah's decision to adopt was heavily influenced by her career as a youth worker. She adopted sisters aged 4 and 6 in 2019 through St David's Children's Society and talks openly about their journey on her blog, 2StarfishSolo.
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Caroline and Siobhan achieved something they had always dreamed of when they adopted a sibling group in 2017. The couple adopted through the South East Wales Adoption Service and adopted siblings aged three.
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In 2011, Julia's two up two down couldn't accommodate more than one child so after adopting their son at 4 years old through North Wales Adoption Service, they adopted their daughter five years later.
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Tasha, who is a teacher, adopted siblings of Thai heritage - a three-year-old daughter and a 20-month-old boy - because she knew that boys, minority ethnic children and siblings typically wait the longest to be adopted.
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