Page 20 - Fyne winter 2014

BAAF focuses on siblings for this
year’s National Adoption Week
Those of us lucky enough to have siblings know
how special the relationship between brothers and
sisters can be. The mutual support siblings give
each other and their shared histories are priceless
gifts that help people flourish during their journey
through life.
Children who need to be adopted have usually
had a hard start in life and it is even more
important for them to experience the stability and
support that being with their brothers and sisters
can bring. Sadly, sibling groups are amongst the
children who wait longest to be adopted as there
are not enough people coming forward who are
able to give them a safe, permanent and loving
family.
Therefore, this year’s National Adoption Week
(3-9 November), run by the British Association
for Adoption &Fostering (BAAF), is focussing on
encouraging more people to come forward who
can adopt siblings. Without enough potential
adopters who are able to give these children a
home together, brothers and sisters will wait
longer for a family or may even have to be split up
and adopted separately. Being placed with their
siblings may not be right for every child, but it is a
tragedy if the shortage of adopters willing and able
to adopt siblings is the only reason why brothers
and sisters cannot stay together.
Rob and his partner adopted two children earlier
this year. Here Rob gives an insight into their
adoption journey and explains why they decided
to adopt a sibling group.
“It is fair to say from the very start we felt we
were treated the same as any couple by everyone
involved with the adoption process from start to
finish. We never felt singled out or treated as a
‘special case’ just because we are two gay guys. We
found there to be very little distinction between
gay, straight, single or couple. We were all just
people wanting to adopt and start our family. A
good friend of ours - who is also one half of a two
dad family through adoption told us that as soon
as you become a parent people stop seeing you as
a ‘gay couple’ and start seeing you just as ‘parents’
and that is genuinely how we have found it to be.
The process itself was as hard and gruelling as we
had anticipated, but we always had the end goal
in sight and that was always the most motivating
thing keeping us going. The social workers work
very closely with you as a couple to discuss every
aspect of your life, your relationship and your
friendship and family network, people have said
to me that it is very intrusive and unnerving - but
it is a very necessary process - they have to ensure
that each applicant is 100% committed and a
suitable adoptive parent.
WINTER 2014
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