It's started. It's taken time and we've been waiting for it to begin. There has been as sense of anxiety and excitement whenever we've talked about it, but now that part of the waiting is over and the process has begun. We have taken the first steps towards adopting a child or, maybe, children. We're prepared for the intrusiveness of social workers asking questions about our life, values and relationships.
For our initial assessment meeting the social worker came and asked us about our past, “Tell me about your childhood?” “Was it a happy experience?” “What about support from your parents?” We've had to sign a statement asking questions about fertility treatment, mental health and criminal convictions.
There were questions about what sort of child we were looking for, how old? Would we consider siblings? What about children with disabilities? Questions which don't necessarily have answers which are neither definite or comfortable, which awake many of our hopes, anxieties and dreams.
It's a bold step. A step that will transform our lives. Change the routines and patterns of our behaviour. Move us out of our stable and secure tracks into the unknown. It is full of opportunities and possibilities.
Why are we doing it? Altruistically, it could make a huge difference to the child/children involved. We'll offer them a stable and secure home and family in which to grow up and develop. We would like to provide a loving, supportive and caring environment where a child can become a balanced and secure adult. More selfishly, it'll provide us with an opportunity to nurture and parent a child or children from an early age.
Over the next few months we plan to document our experiences, explain the adoption process and it's affect on us as we negotiate our way through it. We may even allow guest appearances from the beautiful BG and the impact it has on her.
To finish this entry we'll leave the last word to the delightful BG. When we discussed it after the social worker had left she announced “Right I'd better start looking for mi own place then – if we 'av a couple they'll be all over mi stuff!”
