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Hi and welcomeI'm not sure anyone has total job security anymore and hopefully SWs are recognising thatthe thing that springs to my mind for you is how would you finance time off when you have a child placed? Would your employer give you adoption leave and pay you? Will they take you back, what about child care for your child when you are workingIf you think its going to be a year before you apply then maybe you could think about other jobs involving childrenWhat you will need to demonstrate to SW is that you have the finacial capacity to raise a child, that you have a plan in case of unemployment. Dont forget that once placed you may also be entitled to benefit such as adoption allowance, tax credits etcGood luck, I'm sure your job experience will stand you in good stead

My first thought was changing to childminding to fit around your prospective lo? X

Hi, thanks for your replies! I was rushing a bit when I posted, I wanted to add that there are a lot of positives to my job, one being that I could potentially take my child to work with me (if it was a pre-school child). Lots of nannies do that. I haven't discussed anything like this with my employers so I don't know if that would be an option in my current job but my bosses are brilliant and I know they'd be massively supportive. My interest in adoption has come up in conversation, as they looked into themselves befor getting pregnant through IVF, so it wouldn't come as a shock to them! Hopefully my experience would count in my favour. I did the initial training to foster a couple of years ago and they said I had a lot to offer but were concerned about my finances. I have thought about childminding, I also did the initial training for that but decided not to go ahead. My house is only small, I would be allowed 4 children max (including any of my own) and I have 2 dogs and I think it would be quite impractical to adhere to all the health and safety requirements etc. Looking back I was glad I didn't do it! As for my finances now, it will be a bit over a year before I'm debt free and hopefully then, I would be able to afford to start a savings account which will hopefully add up over the year it takes to get through the adoption process! I think my main concern is that I suppose my jobs are temporary in a way. But one good thing is that you usually have plenty of notice of when the job will end. So it wouldn't be a case of being made redundant and getting a weeks notice so it gives plenty of time to find another job, and many people looking for nannies look well in advance. Sorry iv gone on a bit there! Does it still sound possible for me?

Hi does anyone know how I can move this thread? Realised it should have been in the single prospective adopters section!

Presumably though most nannies who take their children to work will have securely attached birth children who would be babes when taken to work for the first time. Any child placed with you won't be securely attached. May struggle to share your attention with another child you're being paid to look after. May kick off at being expected to share mummy's time. May not actually be able to share anything with another child. May be disruptive, will be traumatised. I struggle to see how a child who has suffered loss and trauma would cope with being lugged off to work with you every day.What if this child is older and doesn't cope well with change,with transitions,with change of routine. What if he/he can't manage the day to day activities you do with child you're looking after. A lot of children would find this difficult,

Thanks for your reply its definitely given me more to think about! I would be entitled to adoption leave just like in any other job so I suppose I would have to take it from there as to what the child could cope with and whether a good attachment has been formed. If I was to be still in the same job I'm in now, the little boy I look after would have started school so that may make things easier, or harder! I suppose at the moment it's all just how long is a piece of string. It's so difficult, I already feel like I'm hitting brick walls all the time, but this is why I want to start looking into all these issues now so I can be best prepared when I eventually do apply. Thanks again for your insight

Hi NannyJread your post with interest.33 is still very young to be thinking Children won't feature in your future unless you adopt.I think you may struggle with work and a child who may need special parenting. If he/she has behaviour problems your employer may ask you not to take the child to work with you, for the influence upon their child, what would you do then? There is still lots of time for Partner and child, whether that be birth or adopted. You also sound financially insecure, you would need secure savings to fall back on in case you lost your job.I advise you think this through carefully and leave it for a few years, there is still much time on your side, don't panic yet. I was in my late 30's when we adopted our first child and in my forties when the second came along (both babies).Only you can make that decision, good luckJanie2 x

I applied to adopt when I was 30. I didn't have a permanent job then - I've never had one. I lurch from temporary contract to temporary contract. This wasn't a problem with SS's - you just need to show you have a plan for if you lose your job.Children do grow up - but more will be born and need a nanny - you can get another job...Like others, I doubt you could take your child to work with you. Never say never, but I wouldn't plan to do it, personally. It's likely that it won't be an option for you, given the needs of a lot of adopted children - especially newly placed ones.As an aside, at your age, you may have to justify why you're choosing to adopt, rather than wait for Mr Right. This isn't a problem if you are clear about your choice - I had no problems. But expect to be asked.

Good luck with your journey. I would suggest that you would need to be honest about your position with your job as this would be an important factor in any matching. I am 3yrs into placement with my son and he still has quite a lot of difficulties sharing me with other people and children. He loves the company of other children, however he really struggles with me engaging with other children, he feels very threatened. At one point he resented the fact that his cousins knew me before he did. I don't think my sons feelings are rare. Hence I suggest that this is something you think about before being matched, particularly if you aim to earn your living looking after other children alongside your child.

Hi thanks for the replies, I've only just seen the latest ones! I was just thinking I should start again introducing myself in the 'prospective' section! to try and answer some of the replies... I have been thinking a lot about this and I realise that nannying alongside adopting a child is not very likely to happen so I am thinking of alternative ways to take my career. The problem is that I am on a good wage at the moment compared to most childcare rolls, if I was to take a job as a nursery nurse or similar I would almost definitely take a significant wage drop, I feel like I'm in a catch 22 situation! I'm not qualified to do anything else, and feel privileged that i love my job! I have now come to thinking that I would like to take a 4/5 year old child rather than younger, as I initially felt I wanted. That may make things easier with the child being if school age, but I have NOT made that decision purely for that reason, it just feels like that would be what's right. I have always felt that I'd like to adopt 'one day' from quite a young age. I know 33 isn't that old but I have always been desperate to be a mother, and I feel so ready right now. I am at the thinking stage, it is going to be a year or two before I can really do anything, so I am using the time to read, research and think (lots!!) It's hard to explain but for me it's not a matter of adopting because I haven't had a child of my own, I could take that route if I wanted to but it seems wrong, adoption just feels like the right path. Of course if I met someone in the meantime I'd love to have a baby of my own, but I would still consider adoption. I am financially insecure at the moment but my plan is to get financially secure in the next year or two but I see no harm in doing all the thinking/research/talking/planning in the meantime... I just want to be as prepared as I can be. Sorry if I've not replied to any of the points raised, I'm sure I'll be adding to this again!