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Adoption

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on adoption.

Booktrust Letterbox - AIBU?

3 replies

Beetham · 16/07/2024 11:18

Hi, I can't tell if I'm being overly sensitive about this or if I should be feeding back:

Youngest DD's placing authority pays for a service from the Booktust (who run bookstart) for LAC, they get monthly parcels containing really nice quality books, numeracy resouces and toys- all brilliant in theory. DD is pre AO and received her first ones recently. What has got to me is:

-The name, it's literally called 'Letterbox'. Can you imagine my shock when eldest DD retrieved the parcel from the postman and it said 'letterbox' in giant letters down the side, and the return address was the LA! We had no prior warning it was coming, I think the name is innapropriate for a scheme aimed at LAC, and has the potential for lots of upset. They could have picked any other name, rather than calling it the same as something lots of LAC have has their only ongoing link to birth family.
-The level of it, there are different parcels for different ages. My youngest has alot of special needs, she is preverbal, not yet walking and is blind (legally, not totally blind). It wasn't accessible to her- some went in the recycling bin, some older DD played with and some I'll be regifting; bearing in mind it's virtual school who administer the scheme I also think this is a big oversight? I'm not asking for a perfect match but they could have made an effort, this months contained counting/number charts and it just felt like a slap in the face.

OP posts:
Jellycatspyjamas · 16/07/2024 12:41

I’d give feedback on it, the name of the scheme is unfortunate and could arouse anxiety in some children (and adults). In terms of what they send, it would be an easy thing to let parents chose the age level of the stuff they send given how common it is for adopted children to be developmentally delayed, eg chose a pre-school box instead of one for 5-6 year olds. There’s little point in them sending things your child can’t access.

Beetham · 16/07/2024 19:09

@Jellycatspyjamas thanks for your comment.

Having re-read what I've wrote it does sound a bit dramatic, but eldest DD is going to be moving from f2f to letterbox contact (BPs are moving abroad and they don't want to do virtual), I'm a bit devastated and although she knows some aspects DD is not fully aware of the plans so when she had this parcel called 'letterbox' n her hands I did begin to panic.

Youngest DD currently has the most basic level box, but as you say considering care experienced children have much higher levels of developmental delay and the fact that disabled children exist in general, they could have done a more sensory based first package.

OP posts:
Jellycatspyjamas · 16/07/2024 19:11

I don’t think you were being dramatic, letterbox will have different connotations for different families and some of the associations won’t be good - you’d hope a company working with adopted children would have an awareness of that.

I think the suggestion of a sensory option for boxes is excellent.

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