What happens after they come home.

[HappilyChatterly]

Hi all,

I was wondering what happens once the LO has moved in? Do you get unannounced visits as with fostering, regular meetings with the SWs or is it very much on the adoptive family to ask for SW input? I'm a foster carer thinking of adopting and wondering how different it will be from fostering from a SW involvement point of view.

TIA x

No unannounced appearances for us but yes regular meetings with social workers, once a week until first LAC review and then minimum 6-weekly after that. Our social worker is lovely and kept in touch at least weekly by phone. We also had a post-adoption support worker from the placing authority, and of course the health visitor. I think how involved the SWs are depends very much on them though. Our DS's sw only did the minimum possible!

No unannounced visits. Our social worker and our dd's SW came round weekly (alternate weeks) for about the first 6 weeks, then once every 3 weeks, then once every 6 weeks. All were agreed upfront with all parties.

On occasions I couldn't make the dates so simply rearranged with them.

I think they are as much for the parents as it is for the child.

No our child has been with us for about 5 weeks you have weekly visits up until the review then monthly visit up until you apply for the order which you can do about 10 weeks in at the earliest if every one is in agreement

It's all agreed up front we didn't get one last week it being Christmas also you just sort of get one we were told if baby hot ill needed hospital or doctors just to email with when, what and why

We pretty much got left to get on with it. There were regular meetings at first in which the sw just had a cup of tea, but dd's social worker was always cancelling at the last minute and to cover her back we never said anything.

Hi Happily... I am also a Foster Carer who is adopting a (foster) child...

pm me if you want to discuss anything...

if you've previously fostered the child you don't have to wait the 10 weeks before applying to the courts for the adoption order...

We've had a weekly visit until the first stat review and then its now once a month...

No more diary writing!!! yey!!

Everything changes once the child is officially 'placed with you'... phew.. to be honest it still feels a little strange... being left alone... not that I'm complaining ..... (big) x

There are two lots of visits - the child's stat visits and adoption support visits.

You have to be seen weekly until the first review and then the visiting pattern is agreed until the next review. The child has to been every 6 weeks by their sw.