FAMILY MATTERS OCTOBER 12 - 18, 2017 | SPECIAL FEATURE › PAGE 19-22
Celebrating 35 years of diversity
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HE CHILDREN’S charity Coram, which runs one of the largest and most well respected independent adoption services in the UK, is supporting the call for more people to consider adopting siblings ahead of this year’s National Adoption Week which runs from October 16 -22. Coram is hosting free information events during the week for anyone interested in adoption to find out more. Over half of children waiting to be adopted in England are part of a sibling group and this year’s National Adoption Week, run by First4Adoption, focuses on the need to find permanent loving homes for sibling groups of all sizes.
Awaiting Coram, which runs three dedicated adoption services in London, Cambridgeshire and the East Midlands, is proud to support the campaign and hopes that more children awaiting adoption can be placed in families alongside their brothers and sisters. Children awaiting adoption have often experienced very difficult early experiences and losses. They therefore need unconditional love and support to
help them form positive attachments and thrive in life. For this small group of children, adoption provides the most successful route to the long term stability and emotional security most children can thankfully take for granted. Having the comfort of being adopted together with their siblings can help children to feel safe.
Together Jeanne Kaniuk OBE, Managing Director of Adoption Services at Coram said: “It is often in the best interests of sibling groups to stay together and grow up in a family who appreciate the importance of their bonds. Bringing up brothers and sisters has proven to be an immensely rewarding experience for many of our adopters. “We welcome enquiries from people of all backgrounds – the most important thing is that they are able to provide safe, secure and loving families for vulnerable children.” Coram provides support and training to adoptive families at every step of the process, and afterwards whenever it is needed. This includes parenting skills training, ‘stay and play’ groups, life story book training, and art and music therapy to
help adopted children. One parent spoke of the rewards of adopting siblings with Coram: “Our girls are a real team. Of course they can be hard work but they are strong together, there is a lot of fun and laughter in our house which is a pleasure to be around. Being together means they’ll always have each other, they’ll have a sense of identity – and it’s double the fun for us! “Having Coram there as our trusty support network is invaluable; they are an extended part of the family. They are there for us and will always be there throughout the girls’ childhood.”
Questions Coram is hosting several free information events during National Adoption Week for prospective adopters to find out more and ask questions. The events are taking place in central London and Cambridge on Tuesday October 17 and in South London and St Neots on Wednesday October 18. To find out more and to book spaces on the events, please visit www.coramadoption.org.uk and www.coramcambridgeshireadoption.org.uk.
Charity urges more people to consider adopting siblings
Family Matters
20 | THE VOICE OCTOBER 12 - 18, 2017
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here are over 2000 children in England who need to be adopted. According to new information released to mark National Adoption Week (16-22nd October), 61% of these children are brothers and sisters. Figures from national adoption information service, First4Adoption, based on the latest government information, show that sibling groups of 2 or more significantly outnumber single children awaiting a “forever family”. The new research, by Adoption Match and based on data from the Adoption Register for England also reveals that: • 58% of those sibling groups awaiting adoption are children aged 4 & over • 55% of these groups awaiting adoption are made up of boys • 24% of the siblings groups awaiting adoption are Black and Minority Ethnic children
The importance of recognising the challenges
Gemma Gordon-Johnson, Head of Service for First4Adoption explains, “It is often in the best interests of the children that a sibling group finds a family together rather than experience further trauma by being separated. This presents an extra challenge for social workers and these factors account for the high proportion of siblings
across England waiting for an adoptive family”. Gemma also stresses the importance of recognising the challenges that can come with adopting children who have had a difficult start to their lives. “Most children who need adoptive families have been removed from their birth families by the courts because their parents and wider families were unable to provide the care they need. The children will have suffered loss and separation in their young lives, even when adopted shortly after birth. Many have lived through more damaging experiences of neglect and abuse and subsequently develop coping mechanisms and behaviour that means they find it more difficult to form relationships. Adoption can be the most rewarding experience you’ll ever have. But, it takes a very special kind of person to meet the challenge”. Nina & Eddie’s story Birmingham based couple, Nina and Eddie began to explore adoption after a string of failed attempts to conceive naturally. They eventually adopted Jayden and Daniel aged 5 and 7. “We always wanted to be
parents” says Nina. “We were both approaching forty and felt we couldn’t wait any longer, so we decided to look into adoption and create the family we so desperately wanted. Because we both come from big families, we always knew we’d like more than one child. Adopting was the best decision we’ve ever made”.
very appealing. Gemma Gordon-Johnson is keen to hear from anyone who would like to find out more. “There’s no denying that having more than one child comes with real challenges but it also has advantages and brings great rewards. If you think adoption could be right for you and your family, we’d love to hear from you”.
“There are lots of misconceptions about the process” adds Eddie. “If you’re interested in adopting, go into it with an open mind. We found it to be a very positive experience and much quicker than we first thought. It took less than a year before we welcomed the boys into our home and family. It’s been wonderful to watch them grow up and enjoy so many memorable moments together”.
First4Adoption – the national adoption information service – welcomes enquiries from anyone who could potentially offer children awaiting adoption a safe and loving home. Did you know that single people, those who already have children, people in rented accommodation, members of the lesbian, gay or transgender communities and those over 40 are all able to adopt? In 2017 it’s also quicker and easier to adopt than ever before. The process to approve adopters only takes six months.
Completing their family with siblings worked for Nina and Eddie but the decision to adopt more than one child very much depends on the individual and their circumstances. The idea of a ready-made family, only going through the adoption process once and enabling children to stay with their brothers and sisters may be
The First4Adoption telephone informational line offers free and confidential advice on 0300 222 0022 (10-6 Monday-Friday) www.first4adoption.org.uk
Family Matters
OCTOBER 31 - NOVEMBER 6, 2013 21
Meet Jeffvani...
He’s a bright, funny child with a lovely smile. His foster carers describe that he is a delight to care for. He loves playing with cars, riding his cycle, playing football, going to the park and listening to nursery rhymes. He also loves music and is a great dancer! Jeffvani listens well and has good manners, saying “please,” “thank you,” and “bless you.” Jeffvani needs a strong, nurturing family to be his forever family.
For more information on how to adopt Jeffvani contact Michelle at michelle.bakay@lbbd.gov.uk or 0208 227 5555
Family Matters
22 | THE VOICE OCTOBER 12 - 18, 2017
LOVELY JEFFVANI NEEDS A CARING FAMILY
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effvani is a bright, funny child with a lovely smile. His foster carers describe him as being a delight to care for. He is shy when he first meets you, but warms up quickly and is very caring. He is very observant and calm. He loves it when his foster carer sits and cuddles him in. This young boy loves playing with cars, riding his cycle, playing football, going to the park and listening to nursery rhymes. He loves music and is a great dancer! He enjoys singing and dancing when he goes to church with his foster carers. He loves looking good, getting dressed and having his hair done. Jeffvani listens well and has good manners, saying “please,” “thank you,” and “bless you.” He is well behaved, and only needs a stern look when he is being mischievous. He is a very caring child, always nurturing his toy animals. His favourite parts of the day are his morning and evening routines. He also enjoys riding in the car and can tell his foster carer when to turn to go to familiar places such as home and his nursery. Jeffvani enjoys lots of different foods, including Caribbean and Ni-
gerian food. Jeffvani enjoys attending nursery and is doing well. He plays well with other children and communicates well. He loves books and listening to his foster carers read in different voices. He has a good attention span and happily sits while she reads several books in a row. He learns best using pictures. Despite a great personality, Jeffvani is an introverted child who sometimes needs some encouragement to come out of his shell, but is talkative once he feels comfortable. Jeffvani loves visiting friends and having friends visit him. He likes talking to people he knows and sharing his toys. Jeffvani needs a strong, nurturing family to be his forever.
For more information on how to adopt Jeffvani contact Michelle at michelle.bakay@lbbd.gov.uk or 0208 227 5555
Jeffvani is a bright, funny child with a lovely smile.
ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT ADOPTION?
Adopting a child is a lifechanging; it offers children the love, stability and security of family life they may not have experienced before and it is about making a real difference to a child’s life. Adoption means the adoptive parents become the legal parents of the child, making all the necessary decisions associated with their lives, just as they would for a birth child. The children who need to
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Thinking about adoption? Every child deserves a loving home. We urgently need adopters for children of black Caribbean and black African heritage, older children, sibling groups and children with complex needs.
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What is adoption?
To find out more, come along to our information session. (Refreshments will be provided)
We are a partnership of six local authority adoption agencies: Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey and Islington.
BOOK YOUR PLACE TODAY
0800 694 0101
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enting, it can be challenging, the children have had a tough start in life – whatever their age - and they will need you to help and support them to manage their early life experiences. Whilst there are fewer children needing adoption across the consortium, we still need families able to adopt children from Black and Mixed Heritage backgrounds and families for groups of brothers and sisters who need to grow up together. To book your place at the adoption event, please visit the North London Adoption Consortium website www.adoptionnorthlondon.co.uk
www.adoptionnorthlondon.co.uk
YO B U O TO R OK D PLA AY C
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OR MOST of us, being part of a loving family is something we can take for granted; the family traditions, the family gatherings and all those memories. Children who need a family through adoption, just want an ordinary life and to be part of an ordinary family. The North London Adoption Consortium invites people who are thinking about adoption to join them at an information event on Thursday, October 19 to celebrate National Adoption Week 2017. The venue will be the Hackney Picturehouse, 270 Mare Street, London E8 1HE, starting at 6.30 pm It’s a great chance to meet and hear the experiences of families who have already adopted. Social workers will be there to answer any questions on the children who need to be adopted, the adoption process and the support available for adoptive families. Adoption is amazing, it gives children the chance to have positive supportive childhoods, and if being a parent is what you want to do, adoption could change your life! Like all par-
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