How long does matching take.

[2dads]

Our social worker is coming to see us next week a potential match. We already know a bit about this match and we think we are going to say yes. Question is what happens after that and how long does it take. Our social worker said our authority don’t do intros or anything over Xmas.

[ElizabethDarcy88]

Firstly good luck. So basically if you want to go ahead with the match this is how it might plan out. You will need to meet with the child's social worker and the family finder with your social worker. And from that meeting then the social worker, family finder and you and your social worker need to agree they think it's a match. Then they have to write a par for panel and you will be given a matching panel date (there might meetings with others involved with the child's case already to help prepare you). That's how is worked for us anyway each authority might be slightly different.

[Ilovedotcotton]

From the first time we heard about our LO to introductions was 4 months. It should have been faster but there were delays due to the FC. For others whom we know, it took about 3 months.

[topcat2014]

I get that the child will have a SW, and we have a SW - who is this third one - the "Family Finder" - or was I not paying attention to that bit of the training?

[DashOfMagic]

Hiya,

Good luck to you for this match!!

There have been 5months for us between first contact with children’s family finder and starting intros in January. Lots of delays for us, but what happened in between:

• expressed an interest (July)
  
• discussions between social workers
  
• they had an internal matching meeting to see whether they all agreed to progress with us
  
• visit from family finder (September)
  
• formal agreement of all involved to proceed
  
• date set for matching panel, in 2 month gap in between: reports were done for panel, we went to meet the adoption medical advisor and foster carers and current school. We met the children briefly. We prepared their room and welcome books/pictures.
  
• matching panel (November)
  
• ADM approved panels recommendation 3 weeks later
  
• shorts visits planned starting mid-December + FaceTime calls (like you, LA did not think Christmas transition a wise idea)
  
• intros start in January.
  

Phew!

I have known it go much quicker for others though. All the best and fingers crossed for you!

Topcat - a family finder is a social worker whose job is to find families for children whose profiles they are given by the child’s social worker. We hadn’t heard of them either but our kids FF is fantastic and gives complete dedication to the task of finding, matching, giving all the information and getting to and through panel.

Xx

[EightWellies]

That's exciting, hope the meeting goes well.

The first time round we had an internal match, which took 2.5 months from first hearing about DD1 to meeting her. DD2 was through the Register, that took 3.5 months from first expressing interest.

[Moomooboo]

Like what everybody else has said it took us about 3 months from finding out about our little one to bringing him home, but we had two holidays booked that they told us to take as our holidays will now never be the same...

Good luck!

[RandomMess]

Have friends currently on month 10, been a completely pigs ear and I'm not sure if it's actually going to happen

[2dads]

Thanks for everyone’s advice, the family finder is coming aswell. We have met her before so all sounds positive

[topcat2014]

So we may have another family member by next Christmas then..

remembers whistfully when I thought it might be this Christmas