Adoption Services for residents living in the Royal Borough of Greenwich are delivered by Adopt London South, a regionalised adoption agency formed in 2019 as part of the government’s plans to improve adoption services for children and families.
Adopt London South represents the London Boroughs of Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Richmond, Southwark Sutton and Wandsworth.
If you are thinking about adopting, email adoptionALS@southwark.gov.uk and we will send you information about the children waiting, the adoption process and details about our events to get you started, or call us on 020 7525 1746
Many people don’t realise that they could be the perfect person to become a legal parent to a young person. You are eligible to adopt with our borough once you have turned 21, as long as you show you are able provide a nurturing, stable environment and have the financial means to support a child as they develop. Adopters can be mixed or same sex couples, as well as single people (with or without children).
Here are some stories from real families who have successfully adopted with us, although their names have been changed for safeguarding reasons.
A white Christian family, with origins in New Zealand and Scotland, who had two birth children, aged eight and five, at the time they were approved to adopt with us. "We chose the Royal Borough of Greenwich for our adoption assessment as we live in the borough and it was the most obvious choice. We were not disappointed! "Throughout the whole process, Greenwich proved to be professional, thorough, knowledgeable, efficient and responsive. They were very clear on what we could expect at each stage, and maintained great communication with us. We were initially concerned that being Christian might be an issue, and that our motives for adopting might be questioned, but we were made to feel very accepted. "The ‘Stage One Assessment Workshop’ was good, providing opportunities to explore attachment and better equipping us on some of the key considerations when welcoming an adopted child to your home. We had to take a break between stage one and stage two, due to a family bereavement. Royal Greenwich provided clear guidance to us about this, insisting we took the time necessary to grieve and process our loss before continuing onto stage two. Whilst frustrating at the time, this was incredibly beneficial in hindsight. We felt in safe hands with Royal Greenwich, and that we were able to trust their experience. "Stage two was pretty intense, with weekly or fortnightly sessions with our social worker, mostly as a couple, sometimes separate, and occasionally with our birth children. Royal Greenwich were thorough in exploring our life stories, and scrutinising our motives and capabilities, especially alongside our faith and our existing birth children. We always felt accepted and respected. The stage two assessment days were also intense, but a great opportunity to role-play some of our learning, and further explore issues in a safe environment. They also provided opportunity to make connections with other prospective-adopters, some of who we are regularly in touch with post-adoption (adding to our support network). "We felt very supported by Royal Greenwich through the approval panel process. Then came the wait for being matched. This felt like forever, but we joined the Royal Greenwich Waiting Group, which provided a forum to discuss our frustrations with others in a similar place. Roll forward 11 months…at this point our social worker was incredible. Our match was in Scotland but Royal Greenwich pulled out all the stops by travelling up and down the country and chasing paperwork to make it go as smoothly as possible, right through to the adoption order being granted. We continue to have support now, two years on, whenever needed. We can't recommend adopting through Royal Greenwich more highly."
A white same-sex couple, with origins in Hungary and the United Kingdom. "We had a fantastic experience with completing our adoption journey through the Royal Borough of Greenwich. We felt our social worker was there for us to support us all along; starting with the information evening, through the assessment and preparation stages, up until welcoming our son into our house and finally becoming parents officially. We had heard great general feedback from other Royal Greenwich adopters we knew, including their excellent after-adoption support, and inclusivity and acceptance for same sex couples; we have experienced this also. "A lot that goes into assessing a potential adoptive person/couple, with many legal and other requirements, and we recognise that these are there for a reason. Our journey from start to finish took some time but we understood the reasons and went along with recommendations. We had a bit of a break in the process but that is not necessarily the case for everyone. Our social worker was thorough and dedicated to making sure everything was done right, but not expecting we knew the answer to everything. She was also there for us to ask any questions, seek clarification and provide advice when needed. We also met the rest of the Royal Greenwich Adoption Team, and they all are very friendly and welcoming. We are delighted that we went through adoption, and that we did this via Royal Greenwich, and we couldn’t be happier at having become a family, with our son. Throughout the process we have learnt a lot about ourselves, as well as the importance of emotions, and it is definitely something which is very crucial. Parenting comes with lots of joy and pride, but also tiredness and challenges, but we think it is worth it. "There is a long way ahead of us, as we just started parenthood about six months ago, but we both feel we have grown as individuals, thanks to the process, as well as actually having a child. We suggest you try to prepare as much as possible by reading books, watching videos, and, if you have the chance, talking to people who have done it already, to get a realistic view…but you can only fully prepare by doing it. We are so pleased we have done this and wouldn’t have done it differently, and would recommend others also".
An African-Caribbean couple who already had a birth child when they decided to adopt with us. "We decided on adoption because, having had a child naturally, we were older parents and getting pregnant a second time just did not happen. "Royal Greenwich was recommended to us by a family member and from day one we were welcomed, encouraged and supported, and it was a great experience. We were fortunate to be accepted by Greenwich, though we did not live inside the borough. "Initially, we were anxious and made several enquiries about the possibility of adopting from another country, and then from the UK, with our own borough. The experience with them was not great, unfortunately, as there was no real human or personal interaction with us, as potential adopters. "The adoption assessment process was an immensely emotional and difficult journey, but the Greenwich Adoption team worked with us and were in constant contact throughout. The coursework required was intense, but necessary, given the responsibility of eventually parenting a child who has been in care. "Overall, we would say that Greenwich, in comparison to our adopted son's adoption team in a different borough, were very good at their jobs. They were caring, passionate, professional and friendly. Greenwich Adoption team have kept in touch with us, offering courses and support, and we would recommend them without hesitation."
Catherine is a single adopter with Royal Greenwich. "I have been working with the Greenwich Adoption team since March 2014 and my daughter and I recently became a little legal family. "From day one, I have found the team to be a delight to work with; very professional, helpful, approachable, and genuinely interested in providing support and information each step of the way during the adoption process. "I feel fortunate to have worked with several members of the team, and have been thoroughly impressed by their level of expertise and experience throughout - especially during the introduction process. "The Royal Borough of Greenwich is highly recommended to anyone interested in learning more about adoption or feel they are ready to start the process. Had I known everything I know now, I would have started sooner!"
We are lucky to have a diverse population in our borough and this is reflected in the young people waiting to be adopted. We place great importance on ensuring a child has a sense of belonging and cultural identity in their new home, so individuals from a range of backgrounds are invited to apply, so we can match ethnic, religious, language, social and cultural needs.
