- Sibling group of three: we have all their paperwork and there are some great common features between them and us, like family names and so on.
- Tuesday 07-Jul. We had a very successful meeting and our social worker said they would be 'bonkers' not to go with us :D It went really well and we saw some up-to-date pictures of them and got some up-to-date information on their progress since the last set of reports were completed. We are awaiting a phone call on Friday to advise us of their decision. We are now starting to think about what it would be like with them being our children. We are also mindful that there are lots of decisions to be made yet!
- Thursday 09-Jul. We had the call a day earlyand it was a YES! All systems are go go go!! The social worlers are planning for us to meet the foster carers and medical adviser in July. On 10th August there is a two week court hearing to decide whether the children are to be formally adopted as a sibling group or split up and raised separately within the wider birth family group. If the outcome is adoption then there is a matching panel date for 4th September to decide if we are the right parents. Then we have Introduction Planning Meetings scheduled week commencing 21st September with introductions later that week. Introductions are likely to take about two weeks so they could be moving in with us early October! Of course, all this information is fluid and any decisions against us will halt the process immediately, but it certainly gives us something to aim for.
- As requested by the children's social workers, we have stopped family-finding elsewhere. This means we have dropped our potential links with all other sibling groups and are concentrating on these. The children's social workers have also stopped family finding :D
Friday 10-Jul. Today Mary has been busy! We have provided our social worker with: up to date financial information, updated CRB check forms, a copy of info on our local support network, updated childcare experience information and feedback sheets based on the children's paperwork!
Home and cars:
- We have a new cleaner who is great and we are happy to keep her - at last! We will attach cupboard safety catches to cupboards and drawers in the kitchen as soon as we are matched. We will be purchasing a nearly new car when we are matched. Mungo's car is to stay with us, as we can put car seats in the back of it when we take the children out separately.
Work:
- Mary finishes working part time / casually at her local primary school on 16th July. She is no longer looking for a permanent role in September. The course that Mary is studying will help increase her salary and give her more flexibility and choice in the future. Studying must be finished by the end of August.
- Mungo is working full time in a permanent IT role. His company, and indeed the MD, are very supportive of our plans for him to take time off during introductions and settling in. The course that Mungo is studying will provide him with more opportunities for roles inside and out of the company and provide a secure furture for him, Mary and our long awaited Midges!
Studying:
- Mary: Childcare, Learning and Development, NVQ Level 3 - Received a B in her 4th assignment, has nearly completed her 5th (of 10). Nutrition and Health of School Aged Children, NVQ Level 2 - Awaiting exam date in September.
- Mungo: T175 (Networked Living) – Waiting for the result of the End of Course Assessment (ECA) that was submitted on the 21st May. M255 (Java Programming) – second assignment score was 91% and third assignment is due for submission on 23rd July.
