Hi everyone, I guess you will all be at different stages of the adoption process. Whichever stage you are at, I want to wish you all the luck in the world with your journey. Ok, now we get to the tricky bit, following a recent adoption breakdown, I want to share with you some thoughts that I’ve had retrospectively in hope that it might be a preventative measure. Please bear in mind that we are all different, I can only give you my personal perspective. Here goes:
1. How well is the child/sibling group known to the SW?
2. What is the child/SG’s current foster care situation?
3. Does the child/SG live with other children in a busy household, will this be the opposite to your family?
4. How much 1:1 time has the child/SG had with the FC?
5. How much does the FC know the children?
6. Are you surrounded by lots of friends and family who will be happy to look after the child/SG so that you can have a much needed break? (When thinking about this question consider that the child/SG could be very demanding and take an enormous amount of energy.)
-
Does the FC want to make the child/SG a permanent part of their family, i.e. want to adopt the child/SG?
-
If answer to number 7 is ‘yes’, is the child/SG happy in their current situation?
-
Do you have a garden that is large enough for a trampoline (this is great for the children and for giving you a break!)?
-
What is the configuration of your house, i.e. will you be able to be within easy reach of each other (on the same floor), whilst not always being on top of each other.
-
How long has the child/SG lived with the FC?
-
Lastly, really think about the current situation of the child/SG and how different it will be with you.
Having said all that, I know that adopted children can be living in very different situations, and with very different people to that of their adoptive family, and it can work out.
