The worst part of all this is that often it is not the lack of people wanting to foster or adopt these kids it is the very system that is suppose to protect them that is really letting them down. The result of which is that many of these children spend their informative years in care and then go on to become tomorrows criminals.
I remember six years ago, my husband, Ron and I were having dinner with some friends. It was National Adoption Week and the publicity had made them think about fostering a child. Ron and I said we had always thought about adoption but as we had travelled so much it never seemed an appropriate time to adopt. We now considered ourselves too old to which they replied there is no age limit anymore. The next day we contacted our local council for information.
It took 5 months to get the first appointment with a Social Worker from the Council and another year to go through the screening process before finally being approved to adopt. We just needed the official notification of approval. That took another 3 months to come through. After receiving the notification another few months went by during which time we heard nothing from anyone. We received no information about kids available for adoption and no communication from our Social Worker or Council. So we notified our Council we wanted to go on the National Register. This went down like a ton of bricks. 'We like you to wait 12 months before going on the register' was the reply. We were now 2 years into the adoption process and not getting any younger so we insisted we be put on the National Register. We never went on the register as surprisingly a couple of days later a child was available for us to consider adopting. She was 8 years old. She lived in North England. We said yes and a few days later the Social Workers representing her came down to see us. Yes, we thought, things are starting to move now.
It took the North England Social Workers six months to decide if we should be put forward to a matching panel to consider if the now 9 year old girl should be allowed to move in with us. Once she had moved in it was another 15 months before we were given their support to file for the adoption to be made final. This was only after we contacted NSPCC for a Child Advocate to represent our daughter. (another story to be told at another time)
Our 12 year old daughter is an absolute delight. She is witty and intelligent. Has a very caring and loving nature. She has wound around her little finger not just us but all our friends, family and even the teachers at her school who all describe her as adorable. She has her demons though not only from her past before she was taken into care but from the trauma of being in care. Moved between Foster Carers(most of whom do a wonderful job) and having numerous Social Workers, this comes out in the nightmares she endures. Once a nightly event they now rarely occur. Something we like to think is because we are providing the love and stability she needs.
It is National Adoption Week and I am sure there are many loving and caring families able to provide a nuturing home for one or more of the 65,000 kids who find themselves in care if only the system and the workers within the system will give them a fair chance.
http://www.giveachildahome.co.uk/
.jpg)