We have lots of different children that need adopting all of these children have experienced losses and disruptions, some may have been abused, neglected or suffered some trauma. These experiences can impact on their behaviour and development but with extra care, support and help these children can reach their full potential.
The majority of children placed for adoption will have been removed from their parents through the court system. All of these children will have had their plan for adoption approved by the court. These children come to adoption with their own identity, background and family history, all of which will impact on their adoptive home and require understanding and acceptance by their adoptive families.
Children over the age of five sometimes wait longer in the UK for an adoptive family because most prospective adopters are keen to adopt very young children. We are particularly keen, therefore, to hear from families who currently have no children under the age of 10 years and who could be just the right parents for one of these children.
Some of our children have special needs, ranging from health conditions, learning or physical difficulty, or emotional or behavioural difficulties
We need to recruit more prospective parents who can relate to a child’s special needs. The child's development may be uncertain and it can be more difficult to find an adoptive family because we do not know the impact for their future development. We do know, however, that they need just as much love and care of dedicated adoptive parents as any other child.
We aim to place children in adoptive families with their siblings. Some of the younger children that need adopting may have an older sibling or may have a sibling in the future who will also need adopting. We are therefore looking for families that will consider taking a younger child with older siblings or who will consider a sibling joining their family in the future.
Where we can, we aim to place children with families who have the same ethnicity or who have extended family members from the same ethnic heritage. Where this is not possible, we need families who can demonstrate a good understanding of the needs of a child who does not share their ethnic heritage. In Oxfordshire, the children we place for adoption who are not from a White British background, are often dual heritage children with White British and African, Caribbean or Asian heritage.
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Could you be the family for Ahmed aged 14 months?
Personality: Ahmed’s carer has written the following: “Ahmed is happy, social, interactive, alert and handsome. His happy disposition and his love of people are very strong, everyone he meets comments on his happiness and friendliness. These characteristics make caring for him very rewarding”
Interests: Ahmed enjoys songs with actions, especially ‘row the boat’, interactive play, being tickled and having lots of cuddles. Ahmed also enjoys sitting with his carers and looking through books.
Health needs: Ahmed has some developmental delay and it is likely that this will continue as he gets older. However, Ahmed is making progress and is generally in good health with no specific concerns being raised.
Educational needs: As mentioned previously, Ahmed’s development is delayed and he is not reaching expected milestones. It is likely that this will continue as he gets older and it is possible that he will therefore require educational support in the future although the nature and level of this is uncertain at this stage.
Emotional needs: Ahmed is a very happy, content little boy and he has developed a good attachment to his current carer, who he has been with since he was four days old. The carer has no concerns around Ahmed’s ability to move on and develop positive attachments to a new family.
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Could you be the family for Luke aged 2?
Personality: Luke can be a bit shy when first meeting people but once he gains his confidence he is a very engaging little boy. At times he can be quiet or become frustrated as he isn’t able to talk yet however he is able to express himself well in other ways, so his carers usually know what he wants!
Luke is an active and energetic little boy who is very sociable and affectionate with his carers. He is inquisitive and loves social interaction. Luke’s carer says he has a lovely character and great sense of humour and that he is a very rewarding little boy to care for.
Interests: Luke is an outdoor boy and loves playing in the garden, on the trampoline, in his car and on his truck. Luke loves to play with his toys and can occupy himself for short periods. He likes books and enjoys sharing these with his carers and others.
Emotional needs: Luke has global developmental delay, and will require a lot of on-going support and attention to meet his potential. Luke has delay with his speech and language but he is making sounds and a few words with support from a speech and language therapist. Cognitively Luke’s level of understanding is very good. Since January Luke he has been attending pre school which he really loves.
Health needs: Luke has a condition which can cause epilepsy, developmental delay, learning difficulties and behaviour issues.
Luke is very active but has hyper mobile joints, so wears special boots to help with this.
Luke has made good progress with his foster carer and has formed a good attachment to her. As mentioned above, Luke has some health issues so his health and development will continue to be monitored.
Luke is in a good routine, eats and sleeps well, enjoying most foods.
Educational: Luke has been attending pre school since January 2012 and gets very excited when its time to go to school. Luke eagerly gets his rucksack and book bag when he knows its time to go.
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Could you be the family for Mia aged 7?
Personality: Mia can be shy and reserved when she first meets people but she is chatty and engaging when she gets to know them. Mia has lots of energy, is inquisitive, and thrives on one to one attention. Mia has a good sense of fun and can be a very loving little girl.
Interests: Mia enjoys Rainbows, and goes to an after school cookery class. She also loves animals, drawing and colouring. Mia takes pride in her appearance; she enjoys clothes and likes to look pretty. Mia loves to draw and colour.
Emotional needs: Mia has made very good progress in her foster placement and has a good attachment to her carer. Mia has had some difficult experiences in her young life and because of this she sometimes feels cross and angry. Mia therefore needs a family that can help her understand and manage these feelings.
Mia likes to please people and thrives on one-to-one adult attention. Mia is learning to share and take turns with her peers and she has made friends at school.. Mia is very inquisitive and ask lots of questions.
Mia is a determined little girl with a strong character. She needs a family who can nurture and guide.
Health needs: Mia is in a good routine; she goes to bed early and rises early. Mia is up to date with immunizations and health all checks are good.
Educational: At present Mia needs some extra support at school however she enjoys school and has made good progress.
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Could you be the family for Sam aged 7 months?
Personality: Sam is a wonderful little boy; he is generally happy and placid and his carer describes him as a “joy” to care for. Sam is content in his bouncy chair and enjoys watching the world around him.
Interests: Sam enjoys his bouncy chair and reaching out for his toys. Sam likes to be held and interact with those around him.
Emotional needs: Sam has developed a good attachment to his current carer and there are no concerns regarding his ability to move on and develop an attachment with his adoptive family.
Although Sam is not yet meeting all developmental milestones, he is never-the-less a delightful little boy to care for. Sam is very engaging and enjoys being cuddled and sung to, offering a ready smile to those around him.
Health needs: Since birth Sam has struggled to gain weight and therefore requires prescription formula milk in order to assist with this. Sam has a paternal birth family history of the genetic condition Marfan’s Syndrome. Although Sam has not tested positive for this condition, at this stage it cannot be ruled out entirely.
Educational needs: At this stage Sam is too young to determine whether or not he will have specific educational needs in the future.
Any special considerations: Sam has two birth half-siblings who have previously been adopted. In the future it may therefore be appropriate for some form of direct contact to take place between adoptive families.
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Could you be the family for Shannon aged 8?
Personality: Shannon is a bubbly little girl who loves to receive positive attention. She has a lot of energy and enjoys being active. Shannon is loving and enjoys having cuddles especially when she needs a bit of extra reassurance from her carers. Shannon can be a helpful child who is willing to please.
Interests: Shannon has recently started swimming lessons which has increased her confidence. Shannon loves to do arts and crafts especially drawing and colouring . Shannon likes listening to pop music especially Lady Gaga and JLS.
Emotional needs: With firm boundaries Shannon is able to manage her behaviour very positively and can be a delightful child. At times Shannon likes to be in charge as it makes her feel safe, so she needs support and encouragement in order to let her be the little girl that she is. Shannon will benefit from a family who can provide consistency in a secure and loving environment. She very much wants to be a part of a family unit and has thought a lot about the sort of family she might like to be a part of.
Health needs: Shannon is a healthy little girl with no specific health needs.
Educational needs: Shannon is progressing well at school however she is on School Action Plus for learning, language and communication. Shannon receives one to one support in literacy and numeracy and has had speech and language therapy. Shannon has an Individual Educational Plan in place at school. Shannon will benefit from a family who can be pro-active in supporting her educational needs and who can ensure that she has access to a wide range of learning activities and experiences.
If you want to find our more about any of our children who are currently wanting adoption or long term fostering then please phone the Recruitment Team on 0800 7835724.
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