Who are the children, awaiting adoption in our region?
In most cases children needing adoption are already in care and placed with a foster carer until they can be placed with an adoptive family. There are babies, toddlers, sibling groups and older children who need to be adopted. We welcome applications from people who could care for children with specific medical needs or needs arising from physical or learning difficulties.
Many of these children have been abused or neglected. Most will not have received the love and stimulation they need, so finding a family who can offer the time, patience and commitment to help them adjust to a secure family life is the ultimate aim for our teams.
Every child waiting for adoption has different needs, experiences and background, so in turn we encourage a wide variety of prospective adopters to come forward from all backgrounds/walks of life to match these needs as closely as possible.
The children profiled below are not real children, but are typical of the type of children waiting to be adopted in our areas. Stock images used throughout.
Amelia and Jamie
Amelia is a wonderful little girl, who takes a considered and careful approach to get to know her surroundings and new people. She loves being around other children and taking care of her little brother Jamie, who she loves being with. They can often be found curled up under a blanket together sharing stories, a particular favourite is the Tiger Who Came to Tea.
Amelia and Jamie love being outdoors, especially being in the garden looking for snails to add to their snail family. Amelia especially loves spending time with the foster carer’s dog: Doddles, “he loves it best when I tickle his tummy”.
Amelia and Jamie need a family that can understand the chaotic circumstances that have brought them to being adopted and help them process what has happened to them. It is really important they maintain ongoing connections with their birth families, particularly their older siblings, and have continuing contact with their foster carers, who have played a huge role in their lives so far.
If you are considering siblings take a look at the campaign film from last year.
Macie
I am a tiny newborn baby weighing just under 5 lbs, I was born around three weeks early. I am currently still at the hospital, and although I am managing well, the doctors are monitoring my potential withdrawal from heroin; I am not requiring any treatment for this, and I am feeding and sleeping well.
Due to my parent’s chaotic lifestyles, including drug misuse, there are significant concerns about my birth parents’ ability to keep me safe and meet my care needs. I have two older brothers, who are in long-term foster care. The Local Authority are seeking Early Permanence Carers, and I hope to be able to leave the hospital in the next week or so.
No current family members are being assessed as potential carers for me. Contact with my birth parents is currently twice a week, and I would like there to be some contact throughout my childhood, should my plan become one of adoption. I also hope my contact plan includes meeting my brothers, both of these things are important for me to understand my life story.
The nurses say I am ‘absolutely adorable’, and so easy to fall in love with. I know asking people to take me home and continue contact with my birth parents is a big ask, especially as the plan for my permanent home remains somewhat uncertain. It’s a big request, but I am so tiny I need the grown-ups to take on this risk so I can just be little and cared for in the way I deserve.
Ade
I love building things, my foster carer often lets me help in the shed, where I have my own toolbox. Last weekend we made a birdhouse, which I carefully painted and I am very proud of. I also love junk modelling, this is my favourite activity when it’s raining outside, I do not like the rain. But, if the sun is out, I love going to the park, I especially like feeding the ducks and seeing what other birds we can spot. I am very particular that the ducks need proper birdseed, not bread.
I sometimes need help remembering it is okay to let adults do things for me. I can be independent at times, and I benefit from being reminded it is okay to ask for help if I am struggling with something, and that I don’t need to do everything for myself. When I am feeling stressed or worried, I go very quiet and the grown-ups have used the word ‘withdrawn’. My foster carer has discovered that if she sits quietly and starts an activity I enjoy, I will slowly come around and sometimes tell her what’s bothering me. I think I might still need some help with this.
My foster carers say I am very kind and caring towards the younger foster child in the house. I am doing well at school. I like learning and my foster carer says I am very bright. I like getting involved in lots of different activities, but I prefer quieter activities like making things and reading, especially books about birds and wildlife. I like to sit with my foster carer in the evenings and look at books. I also enjoy puzzles, and I love Lego!
Ade’s mother is White British, and his father is Nigerian. Ade previously had regular contact with his birth father, which he enjoyed, and it is hoped there will be some form of contact in the future. Ade has two older maternal half-sisters that he lived with, before being placed with foster carers. Ade loves to look at photos of his siblings and looks forward to his contact time with them. It is incredibly important to Adee that contact continues with his siblings.
As with all children that are placed for adoption, adopters must be able to help Ade understand, and explore, his ethnicity and cultural heritage, for him to understand who he is as an individual.
Riley
Riley is an active inquisitive little boy. Riley is making progress all of the time and his gross motor skills in particular have vastly improved. He is learning to ride a bike, which he thinks is brilliant—the sensation of the wind on his face makes him giggle uncontrollably. Riley is great at celebrating his successes (big and small) and loves to get everyone involved with a round of high fives.
Riley loves it when his social worker comes to visit, he cannot wait to get into her ‘busy bag’ and see what sticker books she has with her. His favourites are ones that feature superheroes and he will spend a happy ten minutes careful placing the stickers into the book and humming to himself.
Riley was born prematurely at 32 weeks as a result of this and his probable exposure to alcohol in utero, he still has some ongoing medical needs, including an ongoing assessment for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, this will be discussed at greater length with potential adopters and a comprehensive support plan will be put in place to meet Riley’s needs.
Kai and Brandon
Kai and Brandon have always lived together and while they have the usual sibling squabbles (often centred around what they are going to watch on TV), they definitely look out for one another. On entering foster care, the boys were given separate rooms, but it was quickly discovered everyone got more sleep if they were in the same room.
It has taken time for both brothers to try new foods, but now they are loving trying new things and encouraging one another. A recent game being for Kai to close his eyes and Brandon to choose something new to feed him, and then swap. This results in lots of funny faces and laughter. Their love of new foods has led to a new hobby; Kai and Brandon love to cook! Making pasta being a real success.
Kai and Brandon experienced a very chaotic early life and were exposed to incidents of domestic violence in the home. They will need ongoing support to help them understand their early life and the impact this has had on them.
