Adoption East Midlands October newsletter

TRECS is a monthly online support group for parents who have adopted children from a different race, ethnicity, and/or culture from their own. It allows parents to openly discuss any issues they face such as the identity needs of their child.

More details can be found on our Support Hub. Please note this group is run by an external Regional Adoption Agency, but AEM families are welcome to attend.

Our staff have attended more community events this year to raise our profile and offer support to those interested in adoption.

At most events we have met people showing an interest in adoption. We’ve been able to address misconceptions regarding adoption and highlight our unique adoption offer and multidisciplinary access.

We met adopters, adoptees, social workers, foster carers and expanded our connections. We would love to hear suggestions for events in 2025. Please contact Peers 4 Peers at the link below if you are interested in helping at an event.

We’re excited to introduce you this month to our support staff, based in our recruitment and assessment team. Together they work hard to raise our profile, support people who are considering adopting, share information and myth-bust about adoption.

Lorraine and Isla do this via social media, attending community events/venues and responding to enquiries. Dan is for many people their first point of contact with us, responding to initial enquiries from prospective adopters and supporting with online information events each month.

Laura is currently working alongside Margaret, our Learning and Development Lead Social Worker, to further expand and streamline the programme on offer to all prospective adopters and is the main contact for applicants attending pre-approval workshops.

Our two-year Systemic Family Therapy project concluded this summer, marking a significant milestone in our efforts to support adoptive families. Throughout the project, we provided vital therapeutic support to families navigating the complexities of adoption.

The project was led by Marva and Jess, whose dedication and expertise were instrumental in its success. This initiative also played a crucial role in Marva’s advanced training as a family and systemic psychotherapist.

We received positive feedback from the families involved and are excited to explore ways to build on this work. Please read our Hub news item below for a more detailed update.

Adoption UK have launched a new private Adopter Voice Facebook group for Adoption East Midlands adopters.

Adopter Voice is an opportunity to influence and improve adoption services in your local region and nationally. It works by creating networks and communities of adopters and professionals to discuss various aspects of adoption, share best practice and provide evidence to implement change.

You can join the private group by visiting the link below and completing a short questionnaire to help them verify you as an adopter.

Monday 21 October 2024 marks the start of National Adoption week and we will be celebrating all our amazing families throughout the week on our social media pages. With special thanks to Laura and Becky, a wonderful couple, who discuss their experiences of adopting in a video that will be shared on our social media during National Adoption Week.

We also have an exciting Community Engagement Roadshow in Victoria Centre, Nottingham on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 October to launch National Adoption Week. Further details can be found here.

If you or anyone else you know might be interested in adoption, please come along to our next information event on Wednesday 13 November. You can book this using the link below.