Assessment Vs children already in family finding?

[easilydistracted1]

I couldn't think of a catchy title for this. We've seen some children who are in a big national finding family campaign. They are inviting people who aren't approved to make contact and the way they've worded it makes it sound like this includes people that haven't even started the process. I'm really confused. Surely the process should take 6 months+ to be done properly? Would an agency really consider this level of delay for the children?

In adoption time, 6 months is not long. It took 6 months for us from first hearing about our children to them being placed with us.

It seems that these children are "hard to place" (not to be confused with hard to parent. Children can be hard to place for all sorts of reasons, eg. ethnicity), so the alternative may be longterm care.

Thanks @onlytherain I guess that's it. I haven't seen a suggestion of people who haven't even started the process applying before. I guess we have some thinking to do. They have lots of factors that would lead to a wait- older siblings with medical needs. Sad for them to have to wait for people that haven't even applied yet

The reality is harder to place children may wait much longer than 6 months to be placed even if all goes well. These campaigns appeal for people to apply to the general pool of people wanting to adopt, rather than for consideration for these children specifically, the children will be placed with the first best person/people who come along but the reality is it takes as long as it takes.

@easilydistracted1 For SWs to be doing a public campaign about the children they will be very hard to place, this is a route taken for very few children (100% agree with onlytherain that this doesn't necessarily mean hard to parent). My youngest was in family finding for 19 months before I matched with her (she was nearly three with learning and physical disabilities), so six months is really a very short time in the world of adoption, although it's sadly a very long time for the children invovled.

I think I've seen the same campaign you're referring to and can see how wonderful the children are and also why they sadly struggled to find the match for them as you say due to them being a sibling group, older and have additional needs.

Thanks all. I looked again and it looks like they are actually only on a regional recruitment campaign at the moment. Were applying at the end of August. Hopefully they will have someone by then but if not we can mention them to the agency we are applying to and see what's possible. I'm a social worker myself and keep thinking if they wait for someone to be approved it's not just finding someone it's matching and could be a year. There's an awful lot of information out there about them publicly. Not been drawn to any children in the same way before

I think sometimes they fast track the process when there's specific children involved?like put panel and matching panel on the same day?would still be at least 6 months process but that is sadly no time at all on the process and at least might not drag out for years? Definitely worth enquiring if you have a connection.

@tonyhawks23 that's a good point that I hadn't thought of. I don't think we'd be able to apply to the authority they are in as it's so far but we are using an agency as we both work of local LAs and like the ongoing support agencies offer as well as the idea of keeping them separate. I actually came across the profile as I was looking the agency up in relation to some family finding I'm part of so I'm actually meeting them on a programme footing. I may make a discreet enquiry about their general principles. I'm just nervous about being rushed through before we're quite ready finances and preparation wise