Many people who adopt have medical conditions. Adopt North East will ask you to consent to the disclosure of your medical records so that it can obtain an expert review of the impact of the illness on your suitability to become an adopter. This is to ensure that you can meet the needs of an adopted child and that adoption would not impact your own health.

Mental health issues in adults are more common than you may think. You will not be automatically be ruled out as an adopter because you have experience of or currently subject to mental health issues. Adopt North East will ask you to consent to the disclosure of your medical records so that it can obtain an expert review of the impact of your mental health on your suitability to become an adopter. This is to ensure that you can meet the needs of an adopted child in your care and that adoption would not impact your own mental health.

Adopt North East seeks medical advice on all applicant adopters and this includes an understanding about current and future health and wellbeing. Adopt North East will therefore obtain an expert review of the impact of your weight upon your suitability to become an adopter. This is to ensure that you can meet the needs of an adopted child in your care.

Many people come to consider adoption following unsuccessful fertility treatment or the sad loss of a pregnancy. Some people can be ready to start their adoption journey within a few months and for others it will take longer. We can sensitively help you to work out the best approach and timing for you.

It is important that if you have had fertility treatment, that it has come to an end before starting your adoption journey. Adopting a child needs to be your priority and that will require you to have accepted that having a birth child is no longer an option. Once treatment has ended, we recommend that you take some time to come to terms with the fact that it has not been successful.

Adopt North East will not approve someone as suitable to adopt if they are not able to evidence that they have ceased smoking or vaping for six months prior to the date you register your interest. The only exception to this rule is where an applicant is seeking to adopt a child already in their care. Applicants using nicotine patches or other substance-based alternatives to smoking, including chewable tobacco, will be strongly advised by the Agency to end their use prior to applying to adopt – however, they will not be precluded from registering their interest with the Agency.