Life stories

6 replies

parker1313 · 09/02/2011 20:10

When children are adopted do they all have a life story carried out for them?
Can anyone who is a blood relative be mentioned on the life story?
Iv never met my niece and nephew that are adopted but would like it if myself, my husband& my dc could have a photo and a letter placed on the life story??

OP posts:

englishgirlintaipei · 09/02/2011 20:37

Ok, I adopted in Taiwan and live there so maybe i am wrong about adoption in the UK. However this is what i thought to be true.

The life story is a project undertaken by either the parents, the social workers and the parents or the parents and the child.
There are many ways to make a life book, mostly they start by talking about the child's history. Example, birth (where if known), birth family (if known) then the orphanage, care gives or foster parents (if any), then how you
(as in the parent/parents) met, then you can include all your family in it. Stuff like that.
So if you are part of the birth family you can write a note and include some photos, then pass it to the social worker. It will depend if its a closed or open adoption (i'm guessing if it's in the UK it will be open). You may well be able to have continuing contact via a social work, thus able to update photo and stuff.
I would love it if I could hear from my dd's birth family.

Mumleigh · 09/02/2011 21:49

Hello, Both my adopted children's life story books mention birth family aunts , uncles etc. My son's one has lots of pictures of extended birth family including a Great Aunt.My son even has a box of "treasures" which includes gifts from his birth family. It's lovely for him to have this link to his birth family and his birth mother was encouraged to provide as much information and photos as possible.

maryz · 09/02/2011 22:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mumleigh · 09/02/2011 22:19

my son was placed into care at birth so none of his birth family played a significant part in his life but they are included in his life story book simply because they cared enough to insist on being part of his life story. They also send him birthday and xmas cards under a contact arrangement.

Lilka · 10/02/2011 07:34

My older daughters book (made by us together, no SS involvement) has a family tree in with a small photo and information on people who are 'close' to her - GP's. aunts. uncles and cousins mostly. She wants to know who they are, although she has no desire to contact them. Her siblings hav esperate pages with much more on them.

My younger daughter and sons books..well they only really knew their mum, and no other relations, so there isn't a lot, but there is again a family tree, and a photo of people close to their bio mum.

I have a file upstairs with all the information i know about these family members in it, so when they are older they can have that.

If new members of DD2 and DS family came along, I would put them on the family tree, and put any letters in the file as well as a copy on the SS files - can't get lost if its in more than one place (fingers crossed)

Original poster

parker1313 · 12/02/2011 20:23

Ok that's great to know. Thankyou everyone.

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