Family Fund joins You Can Adopt as a Support Coalition Partner

Family Fund is incredibly proud to stand with You Can Adopt as a Support Coalition partner. June saw the launch of the You Can Adopt campaign, highlighting the many different shapes and sizes families come in, and the various ways adoptive parents can find support.

The new campaign sheds a light on children waiting the longest for a permanent home. Over half of these children (59%) come from certain groups including children aged five or over, children with additional and/ or complex needs, brother, and sister groups, and children from black and mixed heritage backgrounds, who wait an average of eight months longer to be adopted.

We caught up with Keira, who adopted her son Max when he was fifteen months old, to hear about their experiences and how Family Fund helped.

Tell us about your family

“We adopted Max when he was fifteen months old. When we struggled with infertility and IVF didn’t work for us, we turned to adoption. The process was tough and really emotional. But being able to bring Max home to us was so rewarding.

“We knew that Max’s birth mum drank in pregnancy. We were told that there was a possibility of additional needs when he came to school age. This planted a seed and made us more aware when he did start struggling. Max has FASD (Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) and when he turned 10, he was diagnosed with ADHD and he’s now on the pathway for an autism diagnosis.

“Max’s conditions impact his feelings. If he’s not getting what he wants, or gets a different answer to what he’s expecting, it will frustrate him and can cause him to lash out. He has sensory processing disorder, so if his sensory needs aren’t being met or he’s overstimulated, it can lead him to being short fused. And he also struggles a lot with change. Max goes to a specialist school now and is coping so much better.

“While he struggles with some things, Max is such a loving boy. His friends and family are really important to him. He loves playing games and everything electronic, and as a family we love spending time together.”

Family Fund support

“Family Fund has been brilliant for us. I’ve not been able to work the hours that I used to, so I haven’t been able to afford larger costing items. Grants have made life less of a struggle.

“Max had broken his original iPad beyond repair. He relies on the tablet for education and relaxation. The grant had a massive impact on Max’s life. I couldn’t afford to buy a brand-new iPad for him until we received a grant from Family Fund.

“We also were able to purchase some sensory items for Max’s bedroom through a Family Fund grant. Previously, he would only associate his bedroom with sleeping but we wanted to encourage him to use it as a chill-out space too. We used the grant to purchase sensory lights, lamps, and an essential oil diffuser. It has really helped Max to relax, especially when he feels overwhelmed.”

What I would say to someone considering adoption

“Go for it! It really is the most rewarding thing you can do. I look back now and think about the different situations Max could be in. It could have been a totally different outcome.

“Something Max always says to me is ‘I didn’t grow in your belly but I grew in your heart’… and I think that describes it perfectly.”