I have been enjoying some time off work and ticking off the DIY jobs around the house which need doing before our child comes home. Maybe a bit premature of me.....we haven't been approved yet but it is hard not to get focused on these things! Thanks to my Dad and Paul who gave up their weekends to fix our bathroom floor and sort out some plumbing problems!
We are just waiting for dates of our first sessions with the Post Adoption Centre. They are an organisation which provides counselling and therapeutic support to all parties in the adoption process. Our Social Worker advised us a few weeks back that we should both consider accessing PAC now to strengthen our assessment and going to the panel for approval. Anyone who knows me, knows that I had a difficult time a few years ago and was signed off with stress and anxiety by my doctor following a serious incident at work. I think the Social Worker is being objective and trying to forsee some difficult questions that the panel might ask about my 'wellbeing'. I'm a big fan of counselling, it can be very helpful so I'm going into it with an open mind, as is Ruth but I also know it'll make me a more attractive parent to the panel when we get there! We are both going to have 6 sessions of counselling, to help us both to explore any personal difficulties and issues in relation to becoming adoptive parents.
Ruth got a call yesterday and is heading there next week for her first session.
It's a great organisation and I was impressed by their website and we have been impressed by them so far;
http://www.postadoptioncentre.org.uk/
Thursday 18 August 2011
Monday 1 August 2011
Location, Location, Location
So, it's been a few weeks. We have met our social worker again recently and although we were asssured that we are half way through the completion of the report itself, we came away feeling like we were 100 years away from being ready to go to the panel for approval......
So a few long conversations later and we are ready to dust ourselves off and get ready for the long game ahead.
Since the start of the process we have been busy thinking about our strengths - Hannah is an amazing Youth Worker and has vast experience with adolescents facing all kinds of problems. I have had experience of looking after children for years and my work is all about helping parents improve their parenting skills but now we know we need to look at our perceived 'weaknesses' and begin to become more attractive potential parents to make it easier for our Social Worker to champion us at the approval stage.
So we have decided to try the following;
Setting up our own local gay parenting group - a local support network so our child can spend time with and play with other children from families like ours. Our lives have been centered around Dumfries for so long. If we were living in London we could access all kinds of local groups but there seems like there is nothing set-up here.....so, ever the problem solvers - we are going to set-up our own group through a social group in Dumfries - who we already know of and have accessed before.
Watch this space and see.......reminds me of the phrase about Mohammed and a mountain or something like that. If the gay and lesbian family support group won't come to Hannah and Ruth, let Hannah and Ruth make their own gay and lesbian family support group!
Wish us luck
So a few long conversations later and we are ready to dust ourselves off and get ready for the long game ahead.
Since the start of the process we have been busy thinking about our strengths - Hannah is an amazing Youth Worker and has vast experience with adolescents facing all kinds of problems. I have had experience of looking after children for years and my work is all about helping parents improve their parenting skills but now we know we need to look at our perceived 'weaknesses' and begin to become more attractive potential parents to make it easier for our Social Worker to champion us at the approval stage.
So we have decided to try the following;
Setting up our own local gay parenting group - a local support network so our child can spend time with and play with other children from families like ours. Our lives have been centered around Dumfries for so long. If we were living in London we could access all kinds of local groups but there seems like there is nothing set-up here.....so, ever the problem solvers - we are going to set-up our own group through a social group in Dumfries - who we already know of and have accessed before.
Watch this space and see.......reminds me of the phrase about Mohammed and a mountain or something like that. If the gay and lesbian family support group won't come to Hannah and Ruth, let Hannah and Ruth make their own gay and lesbian family support group!
Wish us luck
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