Following approval all prospective adopters are allocated an adoption link worker who will keep in contact with them. On a six monthly basis their circumstances are reviewed to make sure that no major changes have occurred in the family and this review is placed with their original assessment form, so that all records are kept up to date.

It is unlikely that a child will be placed with you immediately following your approval, as the process of identifying the right child for you takes time.  However, your link Worker will keep in touch with you and let you know about children who need families. Thurrock, Havering and Southend sometimes place children from other areas of the country with adopters approved by our Adoption Panels. It is not a question of who is at the top of the list, but which child or children "match" best with which individual or family. Once you have been provisionally linked with a child or children, the Adoption Panel has to recommend whether you are the right family for that particular child.

As an Approved Adopter you will have the right to your record being included in the National Adoption Register . This means that a search will be made across the country to see if there are any children that “match”.

If after 2 years you have not been linked with a child, then a longer review will be held and your assessment returned to panel to allow them to review the terms of your approval.

Sometimes adopters decide that they feel able to change the age group of their approval. This will be discussed at their review and, if felt to be appropriate, will be presented to the adoption panel for agreement.