World Adoption Day
Unless you've been taking some time away from social media today, you probably haven't failed to notice that today marks World Adoption Day.
We think this post from @wemadeawishadoptionmagazine sums up all that this day represents so perfectly ❤️
'Today is #worldadoptionday. It's a time to reflect and think about adoption and the different meanings it has for so many.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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For me, adoption has given me the privilege of being mum to two beautiful sisters. They made my dream of being a parent come true. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
But for that to happen, the dreams of their birth mum were shattered. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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My kids are growing up knowing about their history. Knowing where they came from and why it wasn't safe for them to grow up with their birth family. And that they are very much loved by everyone in their family. Particularly those they haven't met yet.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I started the magazine to give anyone who wanted to share their experience of adoption, a safe space to do that. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Adoptees and birth parents often feel their voices aren't heard. And that their experience doesn't fit with the idea that adoption is a celebration for all involved. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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There isn't a day that goes by without me thinking about the trauma and pain that brought our children into our lives. If I had a magic wand, I'd give it a good wave and say a few magic words to make sure everyone had the skills to safely parent.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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But the reality is, I don't. And not everyone can safely parent. Which is why we have adoption. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Adoption is something that happens to our children. It doesn't define who they are. And by listening to adult adoptees, birth parents and other adopters, we can learn how to best support our wonderful children so they can reach for the stars and realise their dreams.'⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
As part of this week's series in sharing the voices of adoption, this piece from One Adoption shares the working day of an adoption social worker.
https://www.oneadoption.co.uk/newsletter/west-yorkshire/08-05/day-life-family-finding-social-worker
We have one of our Family Finders joining us for an event on Friday morning , if you would like to join us, check out our event listings. All questions a re welcomed.
Today we have shared content from birth families that have been affected by adoption, and like earlier this week, it feels really important to highlight the support available.
You can find information on our web pages (http://ow.ly/5bTr50Gt0IM) or visit the resources mentioned below.
Support for birth families
The subject of adoption can be incredibly difficult for birth parents who have experienced separation from a child by adoption, where can they access support?
If you need help or support organisations like PAC-UK (Tel: 020 7284 5879) or Family Rights Group (Tel: 0808 801 0366) may be able to assist, or help you find a local service or support group.
Today we will sharing one of the lesser heard voices in adoption, but hopefully this will change, because this is a voice we desperately need to hear. #NationalAdoptionWeek
Anna* Birth Mother
Anna says agreeing to having her son looked after by someone else was the hardest decision of her life.
At the time, she was unable to look after her son and provide him with the stable home he needed. Like her mother had also suffered through, Anna was in an abusive relationship which was dramatically affecting her mental health and ability to look after herself and her family. Amid this, Anna knew social services would be able to ensure her son had a safe and stable home and prevent him from any future danger or harm.
Though he left home six years ago, Anna thinks of her son each day. Every part of Anna’s home reminds her of him – from smells, small marks on wall, to remaining toys found behind the sofa.
To Anna, she will always be her son’s mum, but adoption has broken a generational cycle of difficult family life. It given him a life she couldn’t have given. She knows he now has a loving, warm, and caring home with emotional support and structure. After meeting with the adoptive father at his request, Anna knows her son is doing well, has memories of her, and will grow up knowing who she is and about his heritage and cultural identity.
While she doesn’t stay in regular contact with the adoptive family or her son, Anna hopes that one day her son will want to meet with her. She dreams of meeting him as an adult, hearing about his successful and happy life, and having the opportunity to tell him how much she loves him and to build a relationship.
After finding peer support invaluable to coping with her own experience, Anna is now a peer mentor that supports other women going through similar situations with social services. Through this work, she encourages women to talk about their experiences in a safe environment and helps them to gain their lives back.
*Names have been changed to protect identities
One to watch out for, and just in time for National Adoption Week
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The little lion, a story of adoption, is now available for pre order from @olympiapublishers 🦁🧡
https://olympiapublishers.com/books/the-little-lion
#nationaladoptionweek #prospectiveadopters #adoptiveparents #samesexparents #lgbtparents
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To celebrate National Adoption Week we are giving voices to all those involved in adoption, this afternoon we hope to share some voices from the LGBT+ community, kicking off with the Rainbow Family of Five.
https://adoptionwest.co.uk/rainbow-forever-family-of-five/
Celebrating all the voices of adoption #NationalAdoptionWeek
Roman: “I was five when I first met mummy and daddy. I felt a bit scared and a bit excited. I came to my mum and dad to be safe and have fun. My favourite thing about my mum is when we cycle, and my favourite thing about my dad is playing music with him. I’m looking forward to growing up with mummy and daddy.”
As part of National Adoption Week 2021, we are sharing profiles of children very similar to those of the children we currently have waiting for their forever homes.
One of the challenges currently facing adoption teams across the country is that many of the adoptive families now seeking a match are approved to adopt one child, or a younger child, and this doesn’t correlate to the children who are waiting. So although less children received placement orders in recent figures, the proportion of children who have already been waiting for 18 months or more has increased by 10% on the previous year – the children who wait the longest are still waiting.
Children like Laurie
https://adoptionwest.co.uk/current-childrennumbers/
Support for adopted people
An adopted child grows up and may need advice and support at certain key stages through childhood and adulthood about issues arising from their adoption. PAC-UK (Tel: 020 7284 5879) may provide support in your region.
However, if you live in one of our counties we are probably a good place to start when considering support needs. Our team are on hand to offer advice and support.
