Application to be Considered to Adopt
G
Guidance on Completing a Family Tree
OVERVIEW
An individual Family Tree should be completed by each prospective adopter with guidance provided by
her/his allocated adoption worker. This should usually be completed during Stage One of the adoption
process.
During Stage Two of the adoption process the adoption worker completing the adoption assessment will
use the family tree as a basis for discussion about family details and patterns of relationships.
The Family Tree will be included in the final Prospective Adopters’ Report (PAR) that will be presented to
the Adoption Panel when the prospective adopter/s’ application to be approved to adopt is considered by
the Adoption Panel.
The Family Tree (also known as a genogram) provides a readily accessible picture of current family
relationships and significant members of the family over three or four generations, which can help social
workers to explore family patterns and dynamics and also to see how an adopted child(ren) would fit in
with the wider family.
They also provide an important focus for understanding the impact of the past on the present and the
way in which separations, losses, transitions and trauma have been a part of the applicant’s life
experience.
The completion of a family tree is a well-established part of the prospective adopter’s assessment
process, not just for the information it contains but also for the opportunity it provides for applicants to
discuss the significance of different people and events in their lives with the allocated adoption worker.
COMPLETING YOUR FAMILY TREE
Family trees can be hand drawn (to be scanned on to the homestudy report), but should ideally be drawn
using Microsoft Word. The examples were drawn with Microsoft Word (version 2010), by using the
‘Shapes’ button on the ‘Insert’ tab of the ribbon bar and choosing the ‘New Drawing Canvas’ option. If
you have the electronic version of this document you can choose to copy either of the examples and alter
them.
The family tree should go back to the applicant’s parents or, ideally, grandparents. In larger families
aunts, uncles and cousins do not need to be detailed individually.
The symbols used in drawing family trees are:
Male
Adoption Procedures: Section 2: Appendix I
or
Female
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Application to be Considered to Adopt
Guidance on Completing a Family Tree
Example Family Tree – Four Generations
Family Tree – Alison E
Elizabeth
born 1923
died 1997
Robert
born 1924
died 1999
Freda
born 1939
Keith
born 1927
died 1997
Married 1952
Divorced 1963
Celia
John A
born January
xxxx
David B
born February
xxxx
Anne B
born March
xxxx
Mick C
born
April xxxx
Married 1994
4 children
2 adult
1 x 16 years
1 x 13 years
Peter D
born
June xxxx
Margaret C
born
May xxxx
Married 1973
Divorced 1987
Married 1994
Married 1989
Divorced 2008
Hollie G
dob July xxxx
3 children
All adult
Celia
Marian D
Darren E
born
01.02.xxxx
Alison E
born
03.04.xxxx
Danial D
born
August xxxx
Susan D
born
September
xxxx
Separated
Darren (junior)
born
December xxxx
Adoption Procedures: Section 2: Appendix I
Jamie
born
May xxxx
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Month name 20yy
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Application to be Considered to Adopt
Guidance on Completing a Family Tree
Example Family Tree – Three Generations
Family Tree – Pritam A
Sahib B
Died xxxx
(aged 75)
Kathleen A
Died xxxx
(aged 79)
Married
Felicia B
Died xxxx
(aged 49)
Daljit C
Aged 52
Amerjt C
Aged 58
Randeep B
Died xxxx
(aged 47)
Married
Manjit A
Aged 16
Pritam A
Born July xxxx
Nita D
Aged 54
Amrik D
Aged 56
Dianne A
Born November xxxx
Parminder E
Aged 57
Kevin E
Aged 57
Divorced
Married
Married July xxxx
Divorced
Randeep C
Aged 24
Sahib D
Aged 22
Sukhbir A
Prem A
Born September xxxx
(Twins)
Jovan E
Died xxxx
(aged 4 years)
Hardip C
Aged 19
Month name 20yy
Adoption Procedures: Section 2: Appendix I
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