Preparing for Adoption: Everything Adopting Parents Need to Know About Preparations, Introductions and the First Few Weeks

Description

The ideal first book for prospective adopters. When you decide to adopt a child, you might assume that all the important work begins when the child comes to live with you. In fact the preparation stage before is crucial in ensuring that the adopted child will arrive to a safe and secure family. Preparing for Adoption provides clear advice on how to prepare for you adoptive child and create a strong foundation for a healthy and loving relationship. Julia Davis explains how many different factors can shape preparations for adoption, such as finding out about your child's history and using this information to establish a family environment which will meet your child's specific attachment needs. There is also advice on how to prepare your home to create a sense of safety for your child and how to prepare your family to support you as adoptive parents. Primarily for adopters, foster carers and professionals supporting adopters, this book offers ideas and strategies to help parents prepare a happy and settled home for children before their arrival and ways to parent them in the early days of becoming a family that addresses their attachment needs. Preparing for Adoption Foreword Acknowledgements Disclaimer/Note on the Text About Adoptionplus and the Approach of this Book Introduction Chapter 1. Making Sense of it All Introduction Attachment Loss and trauma Chapter 2. Other Ideas to Consider Consider the brain Response to stress Sensory integration and emotional regulation Theoretical framework – putting the pieces together Chapter 3. Getting Ready: Preparing for a Child to Join your Family Preparing for introductions Finding out about your child Preparing yourselves Chapter 4. Preparing Family and Friends Preparing your older children Issues for adopted children Preparing family members Thinking about attachment and trauma Support network meetings Chapter 5. Preparing Children to Move Life-story book Life-story work Goodbyes Preparing to move and looking forward Chapter 6. When Everyone is Ready More about introductions Time to move Placing sibling groups If you already have a child Start of introductions First meeting During introductions The last day ‘What I am really thinking’ So how can you best prepare for the emotional intensity of introductions? Chapter 7. Now You are Home How children feel Creating a sense of safety Parenting to help your child thrive The ‘nos’ Saying sorry Being independent Helping your child feel calm and emotionally regulated Playful parenting Chapter 8. Challenges and How to Meet Them Trauma triggers Bedtime Mealtimes Getting ill School Contact with foster carers When things feel difficult Conclusion Bibliography Books for Children Index