Ever so early in the process but excited!

[Choccyjules]

So after 20+ years of knowing (hoping) we would adopt at some point, I have just contacted a couple of agencies (one more to go) about their information evenings. DD is almost five so we think it's a good time as she'll be starting school and we can guarantee a useful age gap.

When I say 20 years, I always hoped to adopt as well as/instead of having birth children and DH knew that was part of the deal. My parents had other kids at home with us for respite care and I found it an easy and somewhat obvious decision to make.

I know it's really early but finally I can say we look like we've got our toe in the water!

Hi Choccyjules, it feels good having made that first contact doesn't it? We are in a somewhat similar situation. We also have a BC (a bit younger than yours at nearly 3 now) and have been thinking about and intending to adopt for oh pretty much as long as I can remember. We made that first enquiry some 6 weeks ago and it felt like at long last this was not pure theory anymore, completely abstract, but perhaps the first step on the road to becoming a reality. Exciting! Just today we had our first face to face meeting (was a bit like an information evening), so wow it's a second step!

Though we've already learned that waiting is the name of the game... The lady today told us that most LAs and VAs would be very busy these days due to having to implement the new two stage process. So don't be put off if you have a little wait too. Good luck!

Congratulations Choccyjules

My BC was 4 when we adopted her little sister, who came to us at 10 months.

Three years on we are very happy. Adoption has been great for our family.

Thanks, Both! Am sure will be back on here in a while to let you guys know who we went for and what we're up to. One of the three LA's does concurrent planning with Coram so that is another element to consider.

Yes, Meita, our third LA can't deal with us til August due to implementing the new structure. So we may meet the other two first.

Invited to an information evening in two weeks' time so trying to sort out bbsitter as it's an early one, quite a few miles away.

Other LA hasn't responded yet and the third (VA) said we are out of their area, despite their website giving me the opposite impression. The fourth as I said before isn't taking anyone one for the time being due to the changes.

We are having a similar experience choccy. We contacted, I think, 8 LA/VAs (we live in sort of a hub). 2 never answered. 2 replied saying we were out of their area (despite their webpages indicating differently). 2 said we should get in touch again when DS is older (which was what I was expecting tbh). And from the final two we had positive reactions. However with both of them, we had long discussions on the phone, then they said they would be in touch again shortly, but never did. With one of them, we called them again after three weeks of waiting, and that's when we were invited to a meeting.

I'm not sure what to think regarding being in the first batch of prospective adopters going through the new assessment process. There are bound to be some glitches ahead for us, due to everybody getting used to the new system.

Did you consciously decide to wait until July 1st had come and gone so that you would be in the new process? Or is that just how it happened?

Hope the information evening goes well!

Our next step is to talk to/meet with someone who has recently done concurrent planning with 'our' LA. Then in August after some time for thinking and reading, we will go back to the LA and take it from there. It sounds like they might then be ready to officially accept our application (starting the first 2-months stage).

Hi,

No we didn't have 1st July in mind, I hadn't realised that was when the new process was being brought in. Hadn't thought about being the newbies, eek! But I guess Concurrent Planning is so new to most areas anyway, they shouldn't need to adapt it much (hoping so anyway).

2nd LA say the stuff is in the post.