gaining experience of younger children

[Poppet33]

My husband and I have just started the adoption process and we would like to adopt a younger child below the age of 2. Our social worker advised that we need to gain experience of spending time with younger children around the age that we would like to adopt, but that this shouldn't be with children of our friends. She suggested volunteering at a cresh or something - but we both work full time during the week so this could be tricky. Does anyone have any advice on how we might build up our experience? And/or know if any good ideas in the Bristol/Bath/Wiltshire region?

Thank you.

The only thing I can think of is some places have Saturday activities for families, but the parents stay with the kids so it may be hard to volunteer. If you work full time would your employer consider allowing you some time off, an afternoon a week or something to go to a place?

The other option is churches, (and other religious institutions) sometimes offer a crèche. This would normally be when the service is on but they may have other activities that happen in the week where they offer a crèche.

I would also check out surestart and family centres to see what they offer and whether they would be able to use your services. You may need to take some holiday from work to do this, so it depends what you can find that works for you. My gut feeling is either a nursery or day care centre for a week or so at a time (quite hard since you are probably untrained etc) or a smaller place that offers a crèche like a gym or surestart or family centre.

A smaller place may have a mixture of different aged children but might be more interested in your help and might be more flexible.

It also may be easier for you to take an afternoon off a week and get the experience that way than dive in and get a whole week of experience.

Personally, before committing to the activity I would just check with the social worker that this is the sort of thing they were thinking of.

Good luck.

Suggest you contact your local cvs community volunteer service and job centre plus, there are often org's requiring staff which is in your age related remit, they often also offer training also, Child protection, paediatric 1st aid etc. you can also submit your interest on line via Webb site which will be sent too or made available too interested org's.
good hunting.

I know this isn't helpful but this kind of requirement from social workers drives me insane as its so impractical. Never mind - needs must!

Google as much as you can for child activities at the weekend and contact the organiser. Then if that draws a blank, contact the social worker and ask her advice about what else you should try.

Yeah, the other thing they do is to ask prospective adopters to demonstrate they have a support network of friends, neighbours etc. Can be tricky because most people develop those networks as a result of having children, not before doing so.

I came across one woman who had been a nanny for eight years and was still told she had to get experience with children!

I had fortunately been raising my birth child for three years so was deemed to have proved myself as a good parent. Fools...

Thank you very much for all of the ideas and considerations - much appreciated.

For me and DW this was very important. Our first placement broke down during introductions. There were a lot of factors against us but we would probably have coped if we had done this sort of preparation.
Our agency made us take a year of and told us to go away and get experience of looking after young children. DW volunteered twice a week in a nursery. I found it harder, being at work, and had to settle for once a week at a junior youth club (primary school kids).
I suggest havind a serious chat with your employer about day release and maybe getting your SW to write a letter explaining the importance.