At the start of the week, Grazia featured the story of Louise who became a single adopter through Coram during the national Covid-19 lockdown. Louise writes how she had been matched with a little boy, with introductions set for March 2020, when the lockdown was announced, and how Coram supported her to continue the adoption once restrictions started to ease. She highlights the benefits and challenges of adopting during the lockdown and of being a single parent, and concludes: “Despite all the challenges I’ve faced along the way, it’s all been completely worth it. George has given me the best gift in the world – he’s made me a mum. We are a family and it’s wonderful.”
On Wednesday, two sisters, who both adopted through Coram, spoke to BBC Radio London (at 12 and 36 min) as part of presenter Jeanette Kwakye’s Family Hour slot. They discussed the importance of having a good support network and how special it will be for their adopted sons to grow up together. Sue Lowndes, Managing Director of Coram Ambitious for Adoption, was interviewed alongside about the children waiting to be adopted across London and said: “This week for National Adoption Week we’re trying to get the message across that nobody is saying it’s going to be easy but great joy will come from this because you’re going to be changing a child’s life and when you know that, everything else is worth it.”
Thursday saw a spotlight on early permanence, with Coram early permanence carers Nina and Steven sharing their story with the BBC. In the piece, Coram Adoption Manager Hannah Moss explains that early permanence is where people become foster carers to children under two years old but may go on to adopt them later “if the courts decide they cannot be cared for permanently by their birth family.” Nina recounts how they were first matched with a baby girl who ended up returning to her birth family after court proceedings. But despite this loss, Nina and Steven wanted to try early permanence again even if it led to the same outcome. Six months later they started caring for another baby, Jasmine, who they did go on to adopt. Nina says: “It’s a special way to give stability to a child when they really need it and an element of support for the birth family. It’s given us so much as well.”
On the same day, Anthony, a young person adopted through Coram 20 years ago, and Coram CEO, Dr Carol Homden, took part in a discussion on James O’Brien’s LBC show (at 01:52:51). Anthony shared what it had meant to grow up in a loving adoptive family and the importance of life story work in helping him to understand his identity. He concluded: “It can be a really, really valuable experience to adopt. I know that me and my brother, who is also adopted, have enriched my parents’ lives”. Carol discussed the ongoing need for adopters to come forward and said: “There are currently over 2,000 children waiting to be adopted, they are waiting longer and we all need to work together to make sure that is changed. But there are children who need new loving adoptive families and I believe that there will always be those loving families with room in their heart who are prepared to undertake that challenging journey to enable them to thrive.”
And on Friday, Coram published a new report on the impact of its pioneering Adoption Activity Days since they launched a decade ago, with the findings reported in Local Gov News. In a new video, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi, praised the events and said: “The Adoption Activity Days have added a new dimension to Coram’s work, they are bringing adopters and children together, giving prospective parents a chance to meet the children and vice versa to form a bond and begin an emotional connection that’s hopefully going to last a lifetime”. Find out more.