Adoption open evening - what to expect?

[angeal]

I'm not completely sure about this but am going to be going to an open evening soon.

Does anybody know what I can expect from this? I am guessing it will talk through the process and so on?

[Italiangreyhound]

I asked the same question just over two years ago!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/adoptions/a1513275-Open-evening-soon-what-should-we-ask

Hope this thread helps.

Basically, you will be told about the kind of children in care who are waiting for new families, you will be told about some of the difficulties to expect (so do not expect a rosy picture). They will also, hopefully, try and make you welcome, offer you tea and biscuits and a chance to ask questions.

Hopefully it will be good and helpful.

Good luck (our little one has now been home nearly 5 months).

[angeal]

Hm I think I knew not to expect a rosy picture! Thanks for replying.

[Nancery]

Ha! I am going to one next month and was about to start a thread asking exactly what you asked!
Am nervously excited but also bursting with questions as I am clueless to how these things work.

[silverlinings79]

Just to add....be prepared that at end we were asked to stay if we were still interested and then had to have a chat with a social worker and then told we had 5 days to let them know if we wished to go further (to do this had to send a form in). Don't know if this was just our local authority. You could have chat and say you want to come back to it at a later date, there is no pressure to continue at any point in process but thought I should mention it cause I would have liked to have known that might happen before I went! However, we did send the form back straight away and 9 months later we are in middle of introductions, so no regrets!!! Don't be too worried, they are really nice and make you feel at ease :)

[angeal]

Cripes, I was thinking of applying in a few years! Perhaps I'd better go back to it then!

[silverlinings79]

ooh, I didn't mean to put you off, just to fore warn you is all! We werent expecting it and then me and DH are having to have a hushed conversation in front of a load of people about whether we jump in now or not, but we were planning on starting it realistically within 12 months from that evening anyway and were at a place to start there and then. I don't think there is any harm in going and just saying you may want to but not yet, they won't hold it against you, they want you to be honest. They said on night that after they had talked to us some may think this is not for me, some will want to do it in the future and some will say sign me up now and there is nothing wrong with any choice,nor will you be judged for it. You may find you go and it's not for you and then you don't spend next few years heading for something that you won't actually want, or you may find that your few years gets cut to one, because the meeting makes you want to do it now!

[silverlinings79]

Also, how one local authority works may not be like another (or voluntary agency if you going via them)

[Italiangreyhound]

angeal yes, I thought you would know not to expect it as rosy but maybe I didn't really say what I meant, not sure how else to say it! I think what I meant was they will tell you there are no babies available and paint a picture of only older children etc. They may do that. That was certainly what they did for us and actually there are babies and young children in the adoption system. So maybe I meant not rosy for adopters as well as for the kids, a bit of both. I guess I meant they are trying to show you the whole scope of things and it can feel a bit overwhelming.

You may decide to wait before proceeding, but I think it really is worth going and finding out how it is locally for your area.

We went to one 4 years ago and then stopped the process and went to one two years later after having more fertility treatment to have a second child. So not sure why I was asking about it! But maybe because they do vary.

After our break we went back to it and our little boy came home 5 months ago.

Good luck.