Leah and William
We were in our late twenties when we began the adoption process and made our enquiry. After trying to conceive naturally and with some treatments failing, we decided to adopt as there are so many children in care it felt that was the best option for us.
Our social worker was/is great. She explained everything to us about how all the adoption process works and what’s required of us from each stage.
The process itself from completing our registration of interest to going to approval panel only took six months. Although at the time it was hard going having to talk about everything from our past and who we are now, having a good friendly social worker helped us.
From approval panel everything felt like it stopped as we had become so used to weekly assessment visits from our social worker and having research to do. Having nothing to do but look over the possible children waiting was hard but the support from our social worker was amazing.
Finding our little boy was great. We got so, so excited and before we knew it things picked up again. Three months after our approval there we were having a visit from his social worker and family finding social worker to decide if we were the right family. There were soon lots of dates for our diaries and nerves were high getting everything sorted and ready.
Matching panel – I don’t remember a lot of. I was so anxious and nervous but my husband felt it was a little intimidating as there were so many people in the room, but we were not in there long and our social worker came with us.
All I remember about it is being in tears as I had already fallen in love with my little boy and was so anxious for them to agree to our match so we could meet him.
When we got to meet our little boy a few weeks after panel, it was the happiest moment of my life. Thankfully his foster carers videoed it so we can show him later. Something I will do again with our next child.
The bond quickly grew and got stronger by the day. Bringing him home, life changed completely. No matter how much you think you are prepared for this moment, you are not! We wouldn’t change anything or have done anything different but now life is a whirlwind of laughter, messy house, laundry basket never empty and food everywhere.
We are one happy little family and can’t wait to add another little person to complete our family.
To protect the children who are waiting to be adopted names and pictures have been changed.