Adoption

Adoption is the process where children who cannot live with their birth parents come to live with you and become legal members of your family in the same way as if they had been born to you.

Once an adoption order is made, the child’s birth parents have no further legal rights (parental responsibility) over the child. 


All children needing to be adopted in the UK are in the care of local authorities and almost all of them are living in temporary foster homes while they wait for the right adoptive home to be found.

In most cases, there is some form of adoption contact with birth family members, either face to face contact or by letters exchanged via social workers so that the child’s adoptive family details remain confidential.

Adoption agencies

In order to adopt, you will have to be approved by an adoption agency.

All local authorities act as adoption agencies and there are voluntary adoption agencies too.

The agencies approve families as adopters but do not have any children to place.

South East Wales Adoption Service (SEWAS)

The adoption service in Newport is run by South East Wales Adoption Service (SEWAS) as a consortium with Blaenau-Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire and Torfaen.

Visit the SEWAS website to find all up to date information and start any enquiries into adoption. 

Adoption by step parents is a different process but also involves SEWAS.

Contact

Adoption Team, 2nd Floor, Block B, Mamhilad House, Mamhilad Park Estate, Mamhilad, Pontypool, Torfaen. NP4 0HZ
Telephone: (01495) 355766
Email: [email protected]

SEWAS are open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm; if you leave them a message outside of these hours or on a bank holiday, they will respond as quickly as possible.