The words and language we use when we speak to someone can affect how that person feels about you and themselves. Using the wrong language when you’re talking about a sensitive subject like adoption can cause unintentional hurt and upset. There’s two main types of situation where language is important in adoption. Firstly, the language we use in our homes affects how our children feel about adoption. And secondly, the language others use to talk about adoption either to children or parents. Language used at home When we started our adoption journey, there wasn’t much literature around about la ..read more

Books are a great way of learning about any subject. Whatever stage of your adoption journey you’re at, there’s always a book to help you learn more. So, I thought it would be useful to do a post of some of the adoption books available for parents and children. I’d love to know what your favourite adoption books are – let me know in the comments. Please note that most reviews will include affiliate links for the book. That means if you click on the link in the article to the book, and then buy it, I get paid a fee from Amazon. The adoption process An Adopter’s Guide to Adoption My book is a st ..read more

In social worker Kate Asprey’s first article, she looked at what happens when concerns are raised about the welfare of a child. In this second article, she explains the process when the decision is made that court proceedings are necessary. Issuing court proceedings If either change is not seen within the Public Law Outline (PLO) process, or the risks to the child are felt to be too high, the local authority will issue care proceedings in court. These ultimately ask a Judge in a family court to make decisions about where the child should live. An interim care order might be sought. This g ..read more

When you’ve decided you’d like to try and make a birth child, you don’t have to go on any courses to check you’re suitable. You don’t have to go into every aspect of your life with a virtual stranger. Or share your income and outgoings with anyone. You do have to do all of that though, and more, if you decide you’d like to be a parent through adoption. And there’s a very good reason for that. Children who need to be adopted have already suffered trauma and loss in their short lives. The assessment needs to make sure that adopters are prepared, as much as they can be, for the types of things th ..read more

Post-adoption support is exactly what the name suggests. It’s help and support which is provided to adopted children and their family after an adoption order has been granted. As with all things to do with adoption, the available support, waiting times and ease of accessing help varies depending on where you live and your agency. I thought it would be helpful to read about other adopters’ experiences of accessing post-adoption support. The good and the bad. And any tips for making it an easier process. This interview with Christina was first published in 2021 where she shares the support she a ..read more

I love reading. Whether it’s books, magazines, blogs, or something else I love how the words on a page can transport you into a different world. Even if it’s just for a few minutes. Both our kids love reading and books too. Our eldest is getting to the stage now where she’ll take herself off and read a book because she enjoys it. Not because it’s part of her homework. At times, it’s felt like a long road for her to get to that point and I’m very proud of her that she has. Reading is a key part of a child’s development. It helps them to become independent and also opens up a world of stories an ..read more

The Covid-19 pandemic changed our lives in so many different ways. Social distancing meant a lot of things have moved online. Adoption assessments are no different. A lot of meetings and training session had to be done via video call or online. In this interview which was first published in 2020, Cat shares her experience of the adoption assessment being done with no face to face contact. Two years on and a lot of meetings and assessments are still done virtually so it’s useful to reshare this post so that those starting out have a better idea of what to expect. Introduce yourself I’m Cat, I l ..read more

This interview is with Christina sharing her journey to meeting her utterly amazing daughter. Introduce yourself and your family I’m Christina. I was the CQC registered branch manager of a domiciliary care company. Since adopting I have been a stay-at-home mum. My partner is Eddie who is an HGV mechanic. We met about eight years ago when he was a care worker working for me and we hit it off ever since. We’ve been engaged for three years and we are due to get married in July 2020. We adopted our daughter J four years ago this July. J has complex disabilities all as a result of the neglect she r ..read more

This is a collaborative post. Becoming adoptive parents is one of the most rewarding things a couple can do. It can also be quite challenging, especially in the early days. Here are eight tips to help you enjoy life as adoptive parents and make the experience as positive as possible for everyone involved. Photo by Jessica Rockowitz on Unsplash Embrace Your New Family Dynamic For some adoptive parents, the idea of an “instant” family can be overwhelming. Don’t forget that it’s still a process and even though you may have adopted a child, you are still essentially building a new family. It is i ..read more

Our youngest daughter has been very angry lately. She generally seems to take things in her stride, but our first review meeting with her reception teacher told a different story. Other than the first day or two in September, she’s gone into school happily. She seems happy when she comes home. And like most kids of her age, isn’t bothered about sharing much detail of her day. She’s happy to talk about her lunch and who she’s played with, but that’s pretty much it. There hasn’t been any clue from her that she’s been upset. So we were very shocked when her teacher said she has been upset quite a ..read more