Whether you’re a prospective adopter looking to build on your training, or you’ve already welcomed your child home, you’ll find resources to support you at all stages of your adoption journey.
These free resources showcase some of the content available to CATCH members, To access our full library of resources, tools, and support, become a CATCH member through your agency or buy an individual membership.
Dean Hunter, a HR specialist, and Emma Sweetman, a Senior Associate Solicitor, joined us to answer all your questions on adoption leave and pay.
Devin shares his experience of the roles and relationships with the professionals involved in the early permanence (EP) process. He discusses what he feels was missing from the professionals when he went through an early permanence reunification and also talks about the excellent support he received from his social worker. He shares what he thinks best practice should look like and uses his experience to argue how gaps in the process could be addressed to provide better support for early permanence carers.
This is a clip from the webinar, in which Ruth Copson, an Independent Social Worker and Senior Research Associate, considers the life changing impact that adoption has on birth families, drawing on research that considers their experiences of having a child placed in care and subsequently adopted.
“This video is incredibly well put together and so informative. It does a brilliant job of breaking down the standard narrative around adoption and showing the raw, lasting ripple effects that everyone in the family actually goes back to live with…Honestly, this is an essential watch.” – Hub member
This is a clip from the webinar, in which Professor Beth Neill explores the importance of sibling relationships of adopted children and the joys, challenges and outcomes of staying in touch plans. She also covers what works in terms of planning and supporting contact between brothers and sisters, aiming for contact plans that are safe, meaningful and family friendly.
Written by Dr Georgina Hibbert, a child and adolescent clinical psychologist who specialises in working with children who have suffered parental abuse or trauma. This course supports the understanding of core concepts essential to anyone raising or working with a child who has experienced early life trauma. We recommend this course to all of our members.
“Great mixture of content made it very engaging and thought-provoking…Made us consider what our parenting style will be and how we may tackle different situations should they arise in future.” – Hub member
The adoption process can appear daunting and confusing, but it doesn’t have to be! When you are ready to adopt a child, your chosen adoption agency will be on hand to support you in the process. In this blog, we’ve laid out a step-by-step outline of the adoption process to help you understand a bit more about what to expect. First, it’s all about the initial research!
The adoption matching process is one of the most exciting, yet emotionally demanding, stages of your journey towards building a family. This blog provides information on each step of the linking and matching stage to help you understand what to expect.
In this webinar Dr Alan Price, Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Salford, covers a general introduction to FASD, discussing the complicated presentations, adversities and mental health conditions, and provides advice on best practice and support strategies.
“I liked the fact that it was presented in a positive manner, all too often we hear about the negatives. This has made feel less concerned about FASD in general.” – Hub member
Neglect is the biggest reason children are subject to local authority intervention, the most complex to identify and developmentally harmful to the child. In this webinar Dawn Hodson, Chief Executive of Reducing the Risk, looks at neglect across various life stages, including in utero, covering the potential impact, what research tells us and ways to support the child.
The matching stage of the adoption process can be a real challenge. Several adopters currently in the matching stage have shared advice and strategies that they have found helpful during this time.
Amanda Phelan (Panda), BB4K Senior Support Worker at PACT, looks specifically at the impact domestic abuse has on children. Please be aware this is a sensitive issue and some of the content/videos may be upsetting for some.
In this webinar Simon, an adopted adult, explores the importance for adoptive parents to face past personal challenges with self-compassion to help build personal resilience. He also discusses how to draw on these experiences to help build a strong relationship with their child and create a nurturing environment to help overcome trauma.
“Thank you so much Simon. I will be listening to this many more times, with my big ears on. You have shared so many profound insights. Incredibly helpful, practical and offering hopeful ways forward. An outstanding webinar.” – Hub member
Most adoption agencies recommend that prospective adopters gain experience volunteering with children, usually before starting their adoption training. This blog provides some suggestions for where you could look to do this.