22/04/2021 When I discuss adoption and my views on it, I often find there’s a disconnect between where people expect me to be and where I actually am. In wider society, there can understandably be a simplified, rose-tinted view of adoption that comes to the fore when as an adopter, you discuss it with someone… Read More »Why I’m not an adoption evangelist
21/03/2021 There is a gulf between perceptions of adoption within wider society and the experience and understanding of adopters and adoptees. This is obviously no great revelation to anyone involved with adoption. What is interesting to me is the dynamic that exists between societal expectations and understandings of adoption, the way adoption is marketed to… Read More »Framing contemporary adoption
02/03/2021 Like all prospective adopters, we had to think long and hard about our matching criteria during the approval process. When we started out, we wouldn’t have imagined adopting a child with underlying health conditions, but that’s where our journey would take us. As we navigated a far from simple route through stage two, our… Read More »Adopting a child with additional needs
13/02/2021 Adoption recruitment is essential, but so is post-adoption support and helping adopted young people understand their life stories. It’s clear that big moves are afoot in the worlds of children’s social care, adoption and permanence. The long-anticipated care review is has kicked off with a ‘call for advice’ and a process to establish an… Read More »A drive for more adopters must be mirrored by a better package of support
04/02/2021 I find myself thinking about the sensory processing issues that adopted children face more and more. Our daughter, like many has had significant sensory challenges, which relate to her early experience and in her case intersect with underlying medical conditions. I’m by no means an expert in this area, but I’ve reflected on what… Read More »Sensory overload and early trauma
28/01/2021 Let’s be honest, sometimes parenting therapeutically is hard – really hard. It might be that you’re tired, something in another part of your life is taking up a lot of brain space, or possibly a specific repetitive behaviour is just beginning to grate on your nerves. There is endless good advice out there and… Read More »Therapeutic parenting and authenticity
22/01/2021 A lot is happening in the world of adoption and children’s social care. There’s a huge ongoing focus on recruiting new adopters and a narrative coming from central Government about speeding up the process. But there are other huge issues that need to be part of the conversation, such as post-adoption support. At the… Read More »Three ways that you can have your voice heard on adoption right now
20/01/2021 It’s a mantra that all adopters here frequently. Usually it’s a loved one, who is genuinely trying to helpful when you’re describing some of the challenges of raising your child. They smile, tilt their head slightly and crack it out – “they all do that, don’t they?” It’s a simple statement grounded in a… Read More »“They all do that, don’t they?”
16/01/2021 It’s clear that post-adoption support is a huge issue. In 2020’s Adoption Barometer survey from Adoption UK, 68% of respondents who had obtained an adoption order didn’t have a written support plan in place. Respondents to the survey also spoke of being lonely and isolated, something that won’t be at all surprising to most… Read More »Thinking about adoption support
22/12/2020 (previously published)* My family has benefited significantly from the rigour of the adoption process. I was asked by someone considering adoption whether the process is ‘invasive’, to which I answered “yes, massively”. But none of it was unnecessary. Through the assessment, the local authority that we adopted through was able to learn what issues… Read More »Speeding up the adoption process at all costs is neither in the interests of children or adopters