Adopting a partnership approach
Peer support proves popular amongst Warwickshire adoptive parents as they face new challenges.
Warwickshire County Council’s Adoption Service and Family and Parent Support Team have worked in partnership with Rugby Relate for the past 18 months to provide a mentoring programme to provide help for adoptive parents during the crucial early days of adoptive placements.
The Listening Ear for Adoptive Parents Scheme (also known as LEAPS) has six qualified mentors who have provided telephone support to over 30 parents since the project started. The feedback from those supported by the mentors has been excellent.
An adoptive parent who has used the service said: “It was really helpful to talk to someone who had real adoption experience and was non-judgemental. It is an excellent scheme and I would recommend other adopters to seriously consider accessing this service”
Adoption Team Leader Louise Hathaway said: “The LEAPS programme enables us to link experienced adopters with new adoptive parents to offer them vital support and reassurance during the early stages of adoptive placements.
“Mentees have often waited a long time to become parents and naturally have concerns and anxieties about how they do the best they can for the children coming into their care. Having the opportunity to meet regularly with other parents who have been in their shoes has proved to be very beneficial to everyone involved.”
The project is keen to recruit new adoptive parent mentors, and will be interviewing in September and commencing training in October.
If you are an adoptive parent with two years post adoption order experience, and would like to gain an OCN qualification and provide valuable support to new adoptive parents, contact rugbyrelate@relaterugby.plus.com or 01788 565675, or Louise Hathaway 01926 746956 louisehathaway@warwickshire.gov.uk.
For more information about the LEAPS programme or adoption in Warwickshire visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/adoption.