Fiona Myles Expand Published Author of This is Me - No Darkness Too Deep A raw, honest account of my journey as an adopted child. My struggle through life never knowing where I fitted in. Drugs, Alcohol and many failed relationships. Until I came to the place of faith. Balance was restored acceptance was the norm instead of rejection. I have also designed Adoption wear. This is me - I'm Adopted being the most popular. Quote code ADOPTBIGGIVE & 10% of all orders will be donated to AUK
Anju Mahbubani Trustee Expand How did you become involved with adoption and Adoption UK? My journey into adoption started twelve years ago when I adopted my son at three years of age. It was a momentous moment and although it has been a rollercoaster journey, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Not only did it make me a parent but it opened my eyes to how much support these children need. My experience led me to sit on the adoption panel for South London for a number of years, I was honoured to be part of helping other children find their forever families. I have also spent time as a volunteer for an adoption agency within the Marketing and External affairs division. As a voice and passionate advocate for Adoption, I have spoken at adoption gatherings and prep groups for prospective adopters. When I heard Adoption UK were looking for Trustees, I felt this was an opportunity to use my skills and knowledge to help other children and families on their adoption journey. Any specific skills or areas of expertise relevant to the work of Adoption UK? My day job as Commercial Director within luxury retail gives me the knowledge of managing a business, developing a strategy and leading a team to deliver. Bringing these skills to Adoption UK allows me to support in many areas where the leadership team requires. How do you want to see Adoption UK develop over the next five years? I hope to see Adoption UK continue to advocate and provide support for children and adults following adverse childhood experiences. The long term affects of trauma and insecure attachment in adopted children need to be strongly voiced and I am keen to campaign for change. There is much to be done and as a Trustee I hope I can be a part of delivering this.
Julie Moseley Lead Education Officer Expand Julie joined Adoption UK in October 2019, intially as a Parent Partner in the TESSA team, and as a volunteer helpline adviser. This was following early retirement from teaching after 33 years. She was a Deputy Head for 12 years and obtained NPQH( headship qualification) . In November 2020 Julie became Lead Education Officer for Adoption UK Cymru. She has led a project to encourage schools to be involved in Adoption UK and to develop the way that we can support schools and families. Julie and her husband adopted a sibling group of 3, 19 years ago. They are now all grown up and doing well in the world. Julie and Robin are now now have 2 grandchildren. Julie loves spending time with her grandchildren, reading, watching films & visiting the theatre when possible.
1. General resources and information Expand Leaflet: Welcoming an Adopted Child This series of leaflets is ideal for printing out and passing on to education professionals working with adopted children. The simple two-page guides explain what adoption is, introduce the fundamentals of the impact of early life trauma, and suggest some helpful strategies to help children get off to the best start.Welcoming an Adopted Child to Your EYFS SettingWelcoming an Adopted Child to Your Primary SchoolWelcoming an Adopted Child to Your Secondary School Resource: The Story Tellers toolkit : Feelings are funny things This resource is available in English and Welsh . It is written by Esther Thomas who is the lead director for Children Looked after in central self consortium (CSC) , Wales. In the introduction it states "The ‘Feelings are Funny Things’ Programme aims to contribute to learners’ emotional health and a positive attitude to learning through helping them understand more about their emotions, thoughts and beliefs and how these influence the choices they make" It includes stories or links to stories available on the internet with lesson plans linked to those stories as well as other resources to develop emotional literacy- something that is crucial for our vulnerable learners. Download Storytellers' toolkit - English Download Storytellers' toolkit - Cymraeg Resource: Trauma-Proofing the Curriculum A handout exploring how common curriculum topics and activities can pose particular difficulties for children who have experienced trauma, and especially care-experienced children. Trauma-Proofing the Curriculum Handout Trauma-Proofing the Curriculum Handout - Cymraeg Factsheet: Flexi-schooling Although relatively uncommon, flexi-schooling can be an effective alternative way to approach your child’s education. In this short guide we explore what flexi-schooling is and look at the legal position across the UK.Download factsheet Factsheet: Elective Home Education Home education is becoming an increasingly common choice among adoptive families. If you are looking for alternatives to school-based education, this short guide explains some things you will need to know before you embark on this family journey.Download factsheet A checklist for educators A checklist for educators which includes information and possible support measures and strategies to better support previously looked after children in school. Print this off and give to your child’s teachers. This was produced as part of the #BreakTheBarriers campaign. Wales - click here to download Cymraeg - click here to download All about me This guide is for children and parents/carers to print and complete to give to their teachers to help them better understand their needs. This was designed by our Psychology and Therapy Hub (PATH) team. Click here to download Cymraeg - click here to download
Adoption Support Fund Complaints Procedure Please find here the latest information on how to raise a complaint about any aspect of the service you’ve received from the ASF delivery partner. Expand The ASF provides funding to local authorities (LAs) and regional adoption agencies (RAAs) to pay for essential therapeutic services for eligible adoptive and special guardianship order (SGO) families. Mott MacDonald (MM) are the delivery partner working on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE) to administer the Fund to families. Please find here the latest information on how to raise a complaint about any aspect of the service you’ve received from the ASF delivery partner, including: mistakes you believe have been made unreasonable delays which exceed the published processing times how you’ve been treated not being kept informed Please note they will not investigate complaints: about government policy (including the scope and eligibility criteria of the ASF) or legislation that have already been investigated or are currently being investigated by the LA or RAA local complaints procedure or the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman the way your claim has been handled, or the decisions that have been made by your LA/RAA that are, or have been, subject to legal proceedings, including legal settlements Adoption support fund complaints procedure
Dani Stuart Trustee Expand How did you get involved with adoption and Adoption UK? I am an adult adoptee with lived experience of being adopted and hope to become an adopter too one day. Lived experience aside I have been involved with adoption in various capacities such as in my role as an Adoption Ambassador for Scottish Adoption. This role broadened my knowledge of adoption and opened many doors for me. Through this role, I co-facilitated a teen group for young people who are adopted. Additionally, I was privileged to work with an extraordinary group of adopted young people on a Digital Life Stories Project in partnership with the Scottish Book Trust. I have loved and learnt a lot from all these experiences and was keen to represent the voices and lived experiences of the adoptees I have worked with and give them the platform they deserve. Consequently, when I heard about the Trustee role at Adoption UK I jumped at the opportunity! Any specific skills or areas of expertise relevant to the work of Adoption UK? As a teacher I am used to advocating for young people and listening to what they have to say. Moreover, I have seen first-hand the impact that Adverse Childhood Experiences can have on a young person and am used to discussing such matters and addressing any arising issues sensitively.Additionally, due to various experiences such as co-facilitating a podcast 'takeover' for the Adoption and Fostering Podcast and delivering training sessions at Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies (CVAA) conferences I have experience and skills pertaining to public speaking surrounding adoption.Moreover, I have additional language skills which are relevant to the work of Adoption UK such as those related to using person centred and inclusive language. These skills were bolstered during my time completing an Equality and Diversity Internship wherein I was responsible for completing Equality Impact Assessment forms (EqIA) for various pieces of policy.I have also, for my work as well as my own edification, undertaken numerous training courses such as on safeguarding, child protection, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Early Trauma. I believe that much of what I have learnt from these courses will be relevant and beneficial to the work of Adoption UK. How do you want to see Adoption UK develop over the next 5 years? Over the next five years I want to see Adoption UK ensure that it is the adoptee who is at the centre of everything that Adoption UK does. Additionally, I want Adoption UK to actively seek ways to develop with the times to continue to accurately reflect the current wants and needs of those it represents. To ensure this happens I believe that the voices of young people and lived experience needs to be actively included in contemporary discourse. I also want to see Adoption UK continue to advocate for equality by further developingeffective strategies to ensure that LGBTQIA+ and BAME adopters are not unfairly prejudiced at any point during the adoption process or thereafter. In addition, I want to see Adoption UK continue to campaign for parity between adoptive and non-adoptive parents, such as by improving employment rights and financial support for new parents who are self-employed adopters.
How many adoptions break down? Expand There is no UK-wide data, but most sources put the figure at between 3% and 9%. That’s still hundreds of families, and obviously each one is agonising for everyone involved. The terms adoption ‘break down’ and adoption ‘disruption’ are disliked by families whose children are no longer living with them, because they often continue to parent their children at a distance, with regular ongoing contact between them.
What support would my family get after adoption? Expand The adoption agency that places your child with you is responsible for your support, at least initially. This responsibility might move if you move area, or if you adopt from a different area to the one where you live. Your child is entitled to an ‘assessment of need’ before they are placed with you. The assessment should identify areas where you and your child are likely to need support. This could include specialist therapy, help to understand their life journey, support in school and medical support. Your adoption agency should help you access the support your child needs. This does not always happen, and adopters often report struggling for support. Adoption UK continues to campaign for improved support, and to work closely with adoption agencies to understand and provide what families need. In England, adopters and their agency can apply to the Adoption Support Fund to pay for therapeutic support: Adoption support fund (ASF) Most families say that peer support, from people with experience of adoption, can be incredibly important. Adoption UK has a free online forum, a lot of free resources and information, and a growing membership community with groups all over the UK. Find out more here: Adoption UK | Support for adopters
Will my child have contact with their birth family? Expand Adopted children have often lost everything they’re familiar with. Staying in touch with siblings and other birth family members (and other people who were important in their earlier life such as foster carers) can be incredibly important to their emotional wellbeing and sense of identity. For this reason, contact with birth family is increasingly common. Contact can either be direct (in person) or indirect (via letters, mediated by the placing adoption agency). So-called ‘letterbox contact’ with birth family is extremely common. Where children have siblings in other placements, it is highly likely their Adoption Order will include some degree of contact with each other – either direct or indirect. It is very rare for the courts to decide to grant direct contact between adopted children and their birth parents, due to the circumstances which led to the children being removed. Without this being part of the adoption order, it is illegal for birth parents to seek them out until the child is at least 18 years old. However, many adopted children are curious to meet birth parents and other birth family members before they are 18. Social media makes it more likely that this will happen, and adoption agencies are trying to take a more proactive approach to supporting children and young people as they explore their identity and help them prepare for possible direct contact at some point.
Should I consider adopting from overseas? Expand There are children desperately in need of a permanent loving family both in the UK and overseas. Domestic and inter-country adoptions are equally important and equally deserving of good support. Adoption UK will always encourage people to look at domestic adoption first, partly because of the numbers of children in the UK who are waiting, but also because the inter-country adoption process is costly for families and the process can be even more stressful than domestic adoption. But some prospective adopters have a clear idea about which country they wish to adopt from. They may have family connections, or are originally from that country, or they might be adopting a child who is related to them. To find out more about inter-country adoption, visit: intercountryadoptioncentre.co.uk
Do I have to adopt a child of the same ethnicity as me? Expand No. Most adoption agencies would prefer some ethnic connection between adopter and child, but children from black and minority ethnic backgrounds wait longer to be placed for adoption because of a shortage of prospective adopters from black and ethnic minority communities. Any adopter can theoretically adopt a child of any ethnicity, provided they can demonstrate understanding of the importance of supporting the child’s ethnic identity throughout their life. No child should be waiting a long time for adoption because of the colour of their skin or their religion.
Will I get any financial support? Expand Adopters do not receive regular financial support. In England, adopters can apply to The Adoption Support Fund (ASF) to pay for therapeutic support for their children, and your child will be eligible for Pupil Premium at school.
How much does it cost to adopt? Expand It doesn’t cost anything to adopt a child in the UK. Adoption from overseas can be costly. To find out more about inter-country adoption visit: Intercountry Adoption Centre
What's the process of adoption? Expand The adoption process varies in different parts of the UK, but the basics are the same: initial checks; training and assessment; matching; moving in. As a rough guide, you can expect it to take at least 6 months to reach the matching stage. It’s good to start your journey by reading and talking to people with experience of adoption.
Who can adopt? Expand There are very few things that automatically bar a person from becoming an adopter. To adopt, you must be: Over 21 legally resident in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, and have been so for at least 12 months. No criminal conviction or caution for offences against children or for serious sexual offences. This applies to everyone in the household. There are many other factors that will come into consideration, but none of them automatically exclude you. The most important thing is that you can provide a welcome home and you are able to put your adopted child’s needs first. A child does not need perfection.
How many adoptive families are there in the UK? Expand At least 55,000. Official figures do not exist – this is an AUK best guess, based on extrapolation from the average annual number of adoptions. Currently around 3,500 children are adopted in the UK each year.
Why do people adopt? Expand Around half of adopters come to adoption because they were unable to have birth children. However this figure has been decreasing steadily in recent years, and the number of people coming to adoption as a first choice for starting a family is increasing. Other factors include religious and cultural beliefs, people in same sex partnerships who want to become parents, and concerns about population growth and planetary boundaries.
What is the history of adoption? Expand Although adoption and fostering have taken place informally for centuries, it was only in 1926, after the passing of the Legitimacy Act, that adoption became legally recognised in England and Wales. Adoptions became legally recognised in Northern Ireland in 1929 under the Adoption of Children (NI) Act, and in Scotland in 1930 under the Adoption of Children (Scotland) Act. Initially, adoptions were seen as a way of providing security for war orphans and children born to unmarried mothers. The 1960s and 1970s saw major changes in adoption and fostering and family planning. While the number of babies available for adoption fell rapidly because of improved birth control and changing public attitudes, adoption practice changed its focus to finding families for children with ‘special needs’, such as those in local authority care who had been neglected or had physical or learning disabilities. Today, children are removed from their birth families only when it is judged unsafe for them to continue living there. The average age for a child to be placed for adoption in the UK is 3.5 years. This is because huge efforts are made to keep families together, including seeking members of the wider family who could take the child. Adoption remains a last resort for children who cannot live with any member of their birth family.