Edited 17/02/2021
Friends and Family Event
Caldonia
July 3, 2014 15:18
Hi everyone, We'd really like to organise a friends and family event for members in our area. Has anyone done of these meetings before? We wondered if you'd kept it more of a social networking type session or whether you'd organised some more formalised input on attachment, what to expect when children join the family etc... Thanks so much for your help and advice, Sarah
Custard
July 23, 2014 18:03
Hi Sarah At the recent volunteer day this type of meeting was mentioned. I think it done in Midlands / Black Country area. I seem to recall they invited family and friends of adopters and prospective adopters and then invited someone from BAAF to go along and talk (tho not sure what about!!). If you find out more I'd be interested in doing this in Yorkshire too! I will also try to investigate. What area are you? Emma
Edited 17/02/2021
Caldonia
July 23, 2014 18:47
Great, thanks Emma. I'll ask Julie Chilton for more info. We're in the Bristol Bath area. I've been given the details of a sw who runs these days on behalf of local authorities as well so I'll see what I can find out in terms of successful formats, Sarah
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Cayenne
March 23, 2015 14:35
Hi Sarah and Emma, So sorry it's taken a while to get back to you on this. I've only just got around to getting access to this forum as a GC rather than a regional manager (I left AUK in September but I'm still running the BCC groups) We run a friends and family type meeting annually and it consists of an outside speaker (in this instance Berni Stringer from BAAF) coming in to talk about how friends and family can support the adoptive family. She gives a brief intro to attachment and explains why parenting children with developmental trauma is different to parenting 'regular' children, for example using time in instead of time out etc. The main thrust of her talk is about allowing the adoptive parents to parent the child and the friends and family being a support to them, which may mean cooking some meals, helping with everyday stuff and just being a non-judgemental, supportive ear. She also talks about managing the expectations of friends and family and how they need to be patient to meet the child, allowing the parents to decide when is the right time for that to take place. Feedback is really good with many adoptive parents saying that we are saying the same stuff that they say to their friends and family but that it is 'heard' and accepted by them when they hear it from a third party! Let me know if you want any more info. Good luck and give it a go. Julie
Edited 17/02/2021
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