Page 33 - Spring 2015
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Starting the Journey with Adoption UK
When children are placed for adoption it
is not the end of their journey; their needs
do not disappear. Because of this, adoptive
parents need ongoing support throughout their
children’s lives.
Adoption UK and its services are unique
because they are developed and delivered by
adoptive families to adoptive families. We
draw on over forty years of understanding and
knowledge. We provide information, training
and guidance at all stages of the adoption
process and have a wealth of relevant experience
from generations of adoptive families. We
believe that peer support and the exchange of
knowledge and experiences between adoptive
parents are a crucial part of adoption support.
All adopted children will have experienced
some form of loss through being separated
from their birth families. Unfortunately many
will also have suffered neglect or abuse in
those families. For many children, this trauma
can sadly lead to emotional, behavioural,
educational or developmental difficulties,
which may also affect their ability to form
secure attachments with their new parents.
There are often no easy solutions to the issues
that adopters face, but feeling heard, not
judged and having feelings and experiences
validated can be a tremendous support and, we
believe, is an essential part of helping to make
adoptions work.
From a simple question to more in-depth needs,
wherever you are on your adoption journey
Adoption UK’s Family Support Service is
accessible to everyone. Our Helpline Advisers
are here to help you whether you have a
simple enquiry or just want someone to talk to
and support from one of our Family Support
Buddies can make all the difference during the
early stages of placement. Trained by Adoption
UK for a role which builds on their existing
knowledge base, our Family Support Buddies
have a broad range of personal adoption
experiences and are linked as closely as possible
to a family depending on their needs.
Alongside our support services, Adoption UK
also has a family-finding service, ‘children
who wait’. ‘children who wait’ is a monthly
magazine featuring profiles of children who
are waiting for a new family. We also have an
online version of the magazine.
‘children who wait’ magazine and online
service are available to members of Adoption
UK, who as prospective adopters subscribe
to the service. Many local authorities in the
UK use ‘children who wait’ to facilitate their
family-finding process. The magazine and
online service put prospective adoptive parents
in contact with a child’s social worker from the
outset.
For more information contact 0844 848 7900
Monday to Friday 10am – 4pm or visit
Helpline
0844 848 7900
Monday to Friday 10am-4pm
Supporting adoptive families
every step of the way
Adoption UK is the leading charity providing support, awareness
and understanding for prospective adopters and adoptive
families. With more than 10,000 members we offer:
• A helpline offering dedicated support and a lending library
• ‘Children Who Wait’, our family-finding service
• Support groups and family fun days
• Family Support Service
•
Adoption Today
, our magazine packed with the latest
information about adoption
• Award-winning training and events
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