The Week That Was....
A week has gone by since the end of National Adoption Week 2012 and I've not had time to catch my breath, let alone write the thank you's that I need to to all the wonderful adopters I featured last week. The writers shared their stories with honesty and openness and insight and I hope that for any prospective adopters reading this blog their stories will help you really see the realities of being an adopter at this time. It's not all doom and gloom but it is hard work. But it can be wonderful.
Speaking of wonderful, it was wonderful to see how many people around the country were promoting adoption and highlighting the need for more adopters. A major well done to everyone who did their bit over the week. If I'm very honest though I remain extremely concerned at the lack of funding going into Local Authorities to pay for the Social Workers to actually assess the potential adopters so I fear that, for many, expectations may be a big higher than the ability to deliver. Our own panel date now looks in jeopardy because hardly any of the checks that need to be completed by our LA have been done (despite having many many many months in which to do it). Our Agency Social Worker is trying her best to pick up the slack but there are so many things that the LA has to complete itself. I'll let you know if our date does go ahead or not. Our Social Worker, bless her, is having a last ditched attempt at getting everything she can possibly get ready (including coming down to visit us and our referees on a Sunday for which we send her our thanks). If you are reading this Mr Cameron, PLEASE think about the funding issues we have here. There has to be a solution. Do re-read my open letter to you with my suggestions if that helps.
Anyway I have digressed from my original intention of this post........So without further ado I send my heartfelt Thanks to:
Huge thanks also goes out to all the people on FaceBook and Twitter who promoted the stories featured; to Clare Horton at The Guardian Society Daily and to Netmums for featuring Sally Donovan's story. Special thanks also goes to the British Association for Adoption and Fostering; Adoption UK; Coram and Beacon Hill Training for promoting and supporting the stories.
So why haven't I had time to catch my breath? Well was Katie's 5th Birthday during National Adoption Week and everything birthday took over my life. I will write up more about the big birthday in a separate post but it's been rather manic here. I'm not really sure what my other excuse is for this week if I'm honest. I've just been busy. I've managed to hurt my hip and hamstring and am unable to sit at the computer for any length of time so I've been very socially networky quiet this week. Willow, my baby Maine Coon, had to go into be spayed and you can imagine our surprise to find out that she was actually "with kitten" at the time of her spaying. Considering the only Tom she's had access to was her half-brother who has been neutured.........yes I'm asking some serious questions of my vets and have asked them to check his neuturing. I found it hard emotionally that she was pregnant and that pregnancy was terminated (they didn't know until she was mid surgery that she was pregnant and also her brother MUST be the sire so a bit icky and genetically not really a good idea). I'm very aware that I'm attaching human emotions to my little moggy but it did make me feel quite sad. Katie has been full of cold and generally more grumpy due to that and the come-down after her birthday; plus a load of other family stuff. So all in all, I feel quite stretched (and not in a massagy, relaxed kinda way). I have just had a hot stone massage which I did prioritise over doing the usual Friday stuff on Twitter so I will also send apologies for not having time to do any Follow Friday's on Twitter this week. Must do better next week...............
So that was the week that was....... thank you to everyone who made it an amazing week!
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