ADOPTION Central England (ACE), the regional adoption agency for Coventry, Herefordshire, Solihull, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire has found Foster for Adoption placements for more than 100 children.
Fostering for Adoption allows the local authority to place babies and young children in their permanent homes at a very early stage, reducing the number of potential moves a child may have.
This is best for children both in the short and longer term as they can start forming attachments to their prospective adoptive parents sooner and this is positive for their overall development. It also means that the adoptive family can get to know their child much sooner and experience many more firsts with them.
Max and Carol, adoptive parents, along with the backing and enthusiasm of their three birth children, adopted Amy a few months after being temporarily approved as her foster carers under this scheme in 2021.
They said: “It was our wish to adopt a child at the youngest age possible and in doing so, offer stability in their life from the earliest opportunity.
“We discovered so much more about the (fostering to adopt) process during the ACE training days and we understood clearly that we could help by being willing to take a small but real risk that we may come to love a child who would later be removed to be reunited with their birth family.
“One day in early 2021, the phone rang! We were told everything about a four-week-old little girl who needed a family. We knew immediately that that we could offer her a loving home. A week later, we were called to a virtual meeting in which we were offered the opportunity of caring for the baby, which we were delighted to accept, and a plan was made to visit her over the course of a few days before bringing her home.
“During the visits, we were able to cuddle the baby, introduce her to our other children, bathe and feed her and generally absorb her routine so that we could make the transition as smooth and reassuring as possible. We left a baby blanket and cuddly toy with her that we had cuddled at home so that the smells of our home and family were safe and familiar. We sent recordings of each member of our family singing nursery rhymes or reading stories so that the baby could get used to our voices.
“The day that our baby girl came home was memorable and special. It was lovely to see the joy that it brought to our children. Our little dog instinctively became her protector and slept quietly downstairs at the foot of her Moses basket.
“In the following months we went through the process of matching panel and court hearings, culminating in the Final Hearing, the day that our daughter received her Adoption Order, and officially and legally became part of our family, a day to celebrate and remember always.
“Our daughter is a happy and smiley little girl, full of joy and curiosity. She is securely attached to all our family members and life is good!”
To find out more, visit Adoption Central England – Fostering for Adoption or call 0300 369 0556.
