Prep group - session 2
Sorry this didn't get posted last night but we needed to go out for dinner together just to relax. Yesterday was an amazingly overwhelming and powerful day for both of us. I'm lovingly the course and wish it were longer. I think we're so lucky to be involved with Cornwall adoption agency. Everyone we've met and interacted with from the team have been supportive, passionate and engaging.
Day two started with some videos about the children currently in care - a little more about this later.
This was good to understand and see how they are behaving now.
We then did a session on memories and objects. We brought in items from our childhood and talk about them and our memories. Was lovely to share and to think about any little ones that would come to us and about the fact they may not have those objects or they may have objects that trigger other negative memories.
Then we had an amazing foster carer come in - she was like a blond Brenda Blethyn, this isn't important but helps visualise her and hear here saying "sweetheart" every other sentence, she was genius - Jane has 25 years experience and it was great to hear about what work she has to do when the children first come to here and about the process of passing the children onto adoptive couples.
After lunch we did a really powerful session on birth parents. It was really good to see them as people and that the contact after adoption is a positive thing if managed well.
Then we did a "sculpt" about the process of removing a child and the getting a court order to allow them to be adopted. "Sculpt" is an interactive session where you physical but "characters" into place and then as a group we discuss that characters thoughts and feelings. This really highlighted what a tough job social workers have and just how many people are involved in the process of getting a child to the point where they are able to be adopted. It was intense to think how much has to be done by the SW and that they will have 7 other cases all at the same time. I have huge respect for them.
Now yesterday had a huge over riding feeling. I will try and explain as best I can but have been awake since five am and am still trying to process it all.
After yesterday's session we spoke on they way home about not looking at profiles or the national magazines at children in care. We felt it wasn't something that was worth while for us and that we should wait until we're approved. Then the first video we watched showed us the most amazing child that we both, independently, connected to. He is 10 and I thought that Ben wouldn't be interested in an older child. As soon as the break came Ben was saying about him and asking if I wanted to look at his profile. So we have performed a huge U turn having said that we wanted to take things slowly and not rush we are now thinking about trying to peruse the child whilst we are doing our assessment and try and get things lined up for him. It's a little insane to think about but for some, unexplainable reason it feels totally correct.
So a big day for us .......
Day two started with some videos about the children currently in care - a little more about this later.
This was good to understand and see how they are behaving now.
We then did a session on memories and objects. We brought in items from our childhood and talk about them and our memories. Was lovely to share and to think about any little ones that would come to us and about the fact they may not have those objects or they may have objects that trigger other negative memories.
Then we had an amazing foster carer come in - she was like a blond Brenda Blethyn, this isn't important but helps visualise her and hear here saying "sweetheart" every other sentence, she was genius - Jane has 25 years experience and it was great to hear about what work she has to do when the children first come to here and about the process of passing the children onto adoptive couples.
After lunch we did a really powerful session on birth parents. It was really good to see them as people and that the contact after adoption is a positive thing if managed well.
Then we did a "sculpt" about the process of removing a child and the getting a court order to allow them to be adopted. "Sculpt" is an interactive session where you physical but "characters" into place and then as a group we discuss that characters thoughts and feelings. This really highlighted what a tough job social workers have and just how many people are involved in the process of getting a child to the point where they are able to be adopted. It was intense to think how much has to be done by the SW and that they will have 7 other cases all at the same time. I have huge respect for them.
Now yesterday had a huge over riding feeling. I will try and explain as best I can but have been awake since five am and am still trying to process it all.
After yesterday's session we spoke on they way home about not looking at profiles or the national magazines at children in care. We felt it wasn't something that was worth while for us and that we should wait until we're approved. Then the first video we watched showed us the most amazing child that we both, independently, connected to. He is 10 and I thought that Ben wouldn't be interested in an older child. As soon as the break came Ben was saying about him and asking if I wanted to look at his profile. So we have performed a huge U turn having said that we wanted to take things slowly and not rush we are now thinking about trying to peruse the child whilst we are doing our assessment and try and get things lined up for him. It's a little insane to think about but for some, unexplainable reason it feels totally correct.
So a big day for us .......
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