Adoption story 1
As a same sex couple, having children never seemed like an option for us. When our nieces came along we realised that we had something to offer children and started discussing the possibility of having our own. We decided very early on in our journey that whatever we did, we wanted out children to be equally ours and this led us to explore the adoption. At the time of our first enquiries, same sex couples were not permitted to adopt and so we did not pursue it any further. Then one day, whilst travelling along the M8 we spotted a large billboard advertising a same sex couple with a little boy adopted through families for children in Glasgow. We decided to try again and our adoption journey began.
The process was very lengthy, just over 2 years for attending prep classes and having our assessments. We knew that we wanted to adopt more than 1 child so opted for a sibling group with no real specifics on age. Our ideal at the time was one younger and one older child. Our approval panel was in July and around 3 months later we received the call that we had been matched with a sibling group, though they were on different timelines in the process of permanency and would not be placed together at the same time. We took some time to consider the information provided about them and then expressed our interest in being considered as their forever family.
A couple of weeks later we were visited to assess our suitability as they were a complex case and we were delighted to be told that we were the preferred choice for them. Our oldest child was placed with us first shortly after her 2nd birthday. Her foster family were fantastic and really prepared us for life as parents. Our second came around 9 months later. As we had already established routines and bonds, the transition was a little trickier for us to deal with, but again we had great support in helping us to deal with some of the challenges we faced.
We are 8 years down the road now and have 2 beautiful, happy girls. Our journey has not been without its challenges, with recent ASD diagnoses for both our girls. However, we have a good support network through families for children, CAMHS and other adoptive parents experiencing the same situation as us. Despite their challenges, anyone who meets the girls see two happy, smiling, chatty children who are a delight to know. We are very lucky to have them in our lives and can’t wait to see what their futures hold.