Friday 24 October 2008

Cautiously hopeful

There's been a lot happening here but I've been so fed up with the whole process that I couldn't be bothered to blog it. It's always the same. I get a call about an emergency placement. I get all hopeful that they'll be placed with me. Then something happens and they don't come after all. Then I don't get any calls for a while so I start chasing things up myself from profiles I've seen and no one is interested - there's always a reason, though distance and amount of contact with birth family have been the most common recently. I've been hopeful, nervous, excited for news on at least a dozen kids since I last posted and none of those happened.

I'd exhausted my options in the fostering section on the websites so decided to have a peek at some of the kids that are looking for adoptive families. I'm not approved to adopt but I like to read about the kids and I've learnt a lot from the profiles. There's some kids I see time and time again and it makes me sad how long they've been waiting for a family.

Looking through the listings the other day I spotted a new profile. Two girls, sisters, aged 7 and 8. Everything about them made me wish I was approved to adopt. The kind of family they needed was everything I could offer. It seemed such a shame that the children that could really fit with my family were ones I wouldn't be considered for, and those that need foster placements mostly require two parent families with no younger children.

I revisited the girls' profile several times until yesterday when I decided to go for it, and clicked to register my interest. I figured the worst that could happen was being told no again.

Well, today has been a very suprising day. The family finding social worker has been in touch about the 'possible match'. First time I've been referred to as that, and first time a social worker has contacted my agency to ask about me, not the other way round! That in itself was pretty amazing, though I was worried that the social worker had read my information wrong and assumed I was an adopter. My link worker had tried to call the SW, hadn't got through and then had to leave for a meeting elsewhere. She'd forwarded me the email and me being the impatient so and so I am, decided to follow up the contact myself. I never know if this is the right thing to do but I couldn't stand not knowing for a whole weekend!!

So I called. The social worker knew my name, sounded happy I'd called, and went on to say how good a match she thought I was. Three more firsts! She told me a lot about the girls and said that although they are looking for an adoptive family they are doubtful they'll find one (mainly because of their ages), and that they would definitely be looking at possible long term foster carers. She explained that the most important thing is keeping the girls together in a family that reflects their heritage, and I can offer that. She even went on to assure me that even if adopters came forward, they wouldn't be placed before me just because they could adopt, and that the best match for the girls would still be the most important thing. She sounded very impressed with everything I said and wants to schedule a time to meet me, along with my link worker and the children's social worker. I am so excited!! I spoke to my link worker later on and told her the news, and she sounded as happy as I was.

I can't believe I'm finally being seriously considered. And I think it's pretty amazing how it happened. Maybe I've been waiting for these girls all along...

1 comment:

Anita said...

Maybe they are the reason you've been on this road! Who knows!