I first thought about adoption 4 or 5 years before I did anything more about it; I was single but wanted a family. But Mr Right never turned up so I started looking in more detail at how I might achieve my family.
By the time I contacted my local adoption agency I was pretty sure this was going to be the right route for me.
The process was long but I really enjoyed it and learnt so much about myself as I worked through the assessments with my social worker.
The adoption preparation training prepared the group for the children we might adopt but more importantly for me, I made amazing friends with a group of people that have all been through the same process as I have. We continue to offer each other support that people who have not been through the adoption process are unable to offer.
The first time I saw a picture of Charlie, I knew he was the boy for me. I don’t know what it was but the pull was so strong and so right and we haven’t looked back since.
Being open and honest allows him to accept the person he is, where he has come from, and more importantly, where he is going.
Charlie was 5 when I adopted him. This was perfect for me. As a single mum I wasn’t going to be in a position to take more time off after my adoption leave. The other major advantage was that he knew his history. He has always known he’s adopted and it’s just part of our regular day-to-day conversations.
The day I brought him home was a scary day. I was driving the car, looking at this little guy in the back, thinking, “How can I possibly look after this boy?”. I stopped the car and we got out and sat on a bench and I asked him if he was scared. He looked at me and said, “No, I don’t think so”. That was enough for me – if he could do it, so could I!
We have grown together and become a really tight unit over the past few years. It’s not always easy, but when is it as a single parent family? Being open and honest allows him to accept the person he is, where he has come from, and more importantly, where he is going.
I don’t tend to think about what I have given Charlie, I think about what he has given me. Being a mum to him has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. He has enriched my life and taught me things about myself that I would never have known if he hadn’t come to live with me.
Every day I am so thankful that I made that first call to the adoption team. It changed my life and made it complete.
Make an initial enquiry
You can make an initial adoption enquiry through Adopt East.