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Welcome to the first issue of our new fostering and adoption newsletter where we will keep you up to date with all the latest information about fostering and adoption in Angus.
If you've been thinking about fostering or adoption and have a question or would like to find out a bit more, please get in touch with us. You can call the team on 01241 464646, email fosteringandadoption@angus.gov.uk or visit our website.
 We were pleased to support Adoption Week Scotland which ran from 15 to 19 November. It gives us a chance to further raise the profile of adoption, share what adopting a child involves and to highlight the continuing need to find adopters for children in Angus who can't remain with their families.
We desperately need more people to come forward to adopt as the number of people coming forward has dropped significantly over the last year. In October 2020, we had six adoptive families approved and ready to offer a family for a child, however this October we only have one adoptive family approved, with three children in the area currently waiting to be adopted.
If you think you can provide a loving home for a child, please get in touch to find out more.
We see ourselves as a normal family; mummy, daddy and daughter
During adoption week, one of our adoptive parents shared their experience of adopting their daughter (who was three and a half) a few years ago.
“Why did we choose Angus Council? I had spoken to a few of the local councils and also one of the private adoption firms and I recall thinking that the staff at Angus Council were always very helpful, positive and supportive.
“As I think back to the very start of the process, I can recall how excited and happy I felt when we made that big decision to go ahead. I had always wanted a child and we had started the process. One day we would have our child and we’d be that “proper family” I had always wanted.
“But along with the joy there was a nervousness, an uncertainty of the adoption process and the unknown; would they think we were good enough; would we be able to cope as parents, particularly if the child had some additional needs? However, our social workers were all lovely. We learned a lot about ourselves and what we had to offer a child, as well as a lot about the children who needed a new family and their life experiences.
“Finally, the day we had been waiting for arrived, we were matched with a child. She is now 4 years old, nearly 5, and she has changed so much since she came to live with us. The adoption process all seems very much in the past now, we just see ourselves as a normal family; mummy, daddy and daughter, not our adopted daughter, our daughter."
You can read the family's full journey on our Facebook page.
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 Could you adopt siblings?
We’d love to be able to keep more brothers and sisters looking to be adopted together. During adoption week, some of our staff shared what having a sibling means to them. You can see these on our YouTube page.
If you’ve got room in your home and your heart for more than one child, adopting siblings might be for you.
Celebrating with our adoptive families in Angus
Big thanks to our adoptive families who supported adoption week by sharing their journey with those who were thinking about adoption.
At the end of adoption week, we were pleased to be able to hold our first face to face event for our adoptive families for a while (due to Covid). These events are a great chance for our families to meet up and for the children to have fun together. A great time was had by all. Our staff had a ball too!
We’ve recently said goodbye to two of our well-loved foster carers Sonya and Bob who are retiring from foster care after 15 years with us.
Sonya and her husband Bob have worked with us as interim foster carers, providing temporary care for children who cannot live with their own families.
We thank Sonya and Bob for all the care and support they’ve provided over the years to children and young people in Angus and wish them all the best for the future.
Countdown to Christmas
We are looking forward to sharing some wondering drawings made by the children in our foster carer households. Keep an eye on our Facebook, Twitter or our Instagram account to check out their fab pictures!
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 Young unaccompanied asylum seekers coming to Angus may benefit from the safe, supportive environment that a family can give. If you think you could help a young person in this situation find their feet, please get in touch on 01241 464646, email fosteringandadoption@angus.gov.uk or visit our website for more information.
We are now on Instagram!
We want to raise awareness of the need for new adoptive parents and foster carers in Angus and to make sure people thinking about fostering or adopting know where to go.
If you’re on Instagram, please give us a follow at @angus_fostering_and_adoption and help us share our messages.
Help us change the lives of Angus children for the better!
Activities for our families
Do you have an eager young reader at home? Story Explorers is a new library session by ANGUSalive Libraries for children between 8 -12 who love to read and want to dive deeper into some classic tales and authors.
Do you have a favourite nursery rhyme to read to your wee ones? Check out Bookbug’s website and/or download the app to get their song and rhyme library.
Looking for ideas for Christmas crafts and activities for kids? The Messy Little Monster website is great with lots of suggestions for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and older children to enjoy.
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Sharing is caring
Please share the messages in this enewsletter with people who may not be online.
Please encourage any friends to sign up to receive these enewsletters and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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