Adoption East Midlands newsletter November 2024

We still have some spaces on our upcoming Theraplay workshop on Tuesday 12 November 2024 which will take place in person.

Theraplay promotes developing secure attachment and sensory and emotional regulation. It is based on natural patterns of healthy interaction between parent and child and uses emotional, attuned, interactive and structured play and activities.

There will be an opportunity to explore the origins of Theraplay, learn about the four key functions, try some activities as a group and to consider the benefits of Theraplay for your family.

Welcome to some of the workers involved in the creation and delivery of the Learning and Development Programme for prospective adopters. Our programme includes a range of in-person and virtual workshops aimed at developing an understanding of adoption, preparation for becoming an adoptive family and supporting adoptive families throughout their journey.

Margaret (Learning and Development Lead Social Worker) and Laura (Community Care Worker who supports with programme coordination), along with all the team, have been working hard on developing our programme and incorporating new material to reflect modern adoption. This includes maintaining links with birth families, transcultural adoption and working with colleagues to develop peer support for adopters.

We have also been involved in adopter-only community sessions including baby massage to promote attachment, setting up training on therapeutic parenting with Theraplay UK, and a workshop led by experienced adopters to help new adoptive parents prepare for children coming home.

The Black Adoption Project is an Adopt London project that aims to look beyond short-term solutions to understand and respond to the many complex factors that impact adoption in the Black community. The project runs webinars, and shares research findings and links to related podcasts, all of which may interest adopters and professionals alike.

You can find out more on the website or keep up-to-date by signing up to the mailing list which can be found at the link at the bottom of the project web page.

Families have been booking onto consultations with Bethan, our highly trained Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, for advice about how to support their child’s communication skills.

If you have concerns about your child’s understanding, talking, speech sounds, social interaction or want to talk about how early life experiences have shaped their communication development, you can book a one-hour discussion with Bethan.

As a service we continue to be involved in the Relationships in Good Hands Trial (RIGHT) of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) which is a research project led by Glasgow University.

We’re still looking for adopters with children aged 5 to 12 years who are interested in participating in the project which has the potential to strengthen relationships and attachment within families.

Our adopted young adults group is a friendly group of people who all have adoption in common. The group meets monthly for events such as dinners, bowling, group discussion and general fun times with others of a similar age who understand the issues facing adoptees.

The next monthly meeting will be on Monday, 4 November 2024 at 6pm. If you are or if you know of an adopted young adult between 17 and 25 years old, please share this information or consider joining the group!