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NEWS FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM POOR, POOR, POOR BABY P whose life has ended after shocking abuse at the hands of his own mother, her lover and their lodger. With eight broken ribs, a broken back, part of a finger missing, a ripped ear, hit so hard in the face that he swallowed a tooth. And in spite of this, Baby P still took the time to smile at a social worker. HOW can we allow things like this to happen? DID YOU KNOW? Britain is the cocaine capital of Europe? 75 000 children use class A drug - more than any other country. Five per cent of 15 and 16-year olds have used cocaine (reported from the European Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction) Low-quality cocaine is emerging and costs roughly 3 pounds a hit - the price of a pint of beer which is unfortunately, quite affordable for children. Britain also shows the highest number of ecstasy users. Many adoptive parents in the UK must be very special people indeed, for their parenting tasks are far from easy. Very few healthy white babies need adoptive parents. Instead children who are placed with adoptive families have been in residential care, have special needs such as severe mental and physical handicaps, are emotionally damaged older children or groups of brothers and sisters. Recruitment techniques for finding homes for children with special needs are very different from those in South Africa. Television, the use of photographs in adoption newsletters and the press and adoption parties are all used to publicise children needing homes. Specialist organizations have developed to link up parents and children – parents for children. In some areas there are subsidized adoptions through “approved adoption allowances”. A process of “freeing”children for adoption when it is in their best interests takes place. This is intended to streamline the legal or administrative process of adoption. There is a move to ensure that wherever possible black children are placed within their own communities. The transracial debate does not appear to be over. Pre and post adoption services for all touched by adoption are seen as a vital service. Of the groups investigated, two specialist groups stand out:- POST ADOPTION CENTRE – LONDON The Post Adoption Centre was set up more than ten years ago to meet the needs of both adults and children experiencing problems which arise in some way from adoption. The Services offered are • Information Services A data base of post-adoption services available in the UK and abroad, as well as books, articles and research findings. • Publications Guidelines and fact sheets for professionals enabling them access to up-to-date findings. • Training for Professionals A team of qualified counselors, therapists and social workers – are waiting in the wings, keen and enthusiastic to share their perspectives of adoption. They have established a reputation for high quality training for statutory and voluntary agencies. They are the leading exponent in the UK on the multi-dimensional aspects of adoption and any Symposium on adoption being contemplated, would be incomplete without their input. Contact in haste: 5 Torriano MewsTorriano MewsLondon NW5 2 RZ Tel: 0171 284 0555 PARENT TO PARENT INFORMATION ON ADOPTION SERVICES (PPIAS) PPIAS was formed in 1971 by a group of parents who had adopted children considered “hard to place”. Their aims are now to help other potential new families by passing on information about how and where to adopt, to provide support, advice and encouragement for prospective and existing adopters and permanent substitute families. They share their experience of adoption of tiny infants through to teenagers and children with medical, emotional, physical or learning disabilities, of all ages and many different racial origins. Many of these topics are dealt with in four journals issued annually. The subscription fee is worth every penny you pay. About 80 adoption agencies currently use this journal to feature children for whom they are having difficulty finding the right family. PPIAS also operate as an information exchange. This is the place if you are seeking adoption information. PPIAS also like to be kept up to date. (Extract from Adoption Network News) “IT’S A PIECE OF CAKE” “Parenting hurt children can be both rewarding and challenging. The recipe for change is “It’s a piece of Cake”, Adoption UK’s parent training course. Every child placed from the care system has suffered some form of early trauma – from the initial separation from members of their birth family to months, even years, of neglect or abuse. Some families find all the help and support they need, others struggle on powerless and unable to understand the sometimes erratic behaviours of their child or children. So much more is now known about the impact of early trauma on children and family life in general, and Adoption UK thinks it is about time that this knowledge was shared with you.”- Adoption today (February 2004) A new and unique course for adoptive parents and carers. An 8-module course is run addressing areas such as expectations of everyone involved in the adoption process; loss issues for parents and children; how to recognize symptoms of attachment difficulties; important relationship between parent and child; understanding on-going effects of early trauma; parenting strategies; self care and anger management; issues of contact. e-mail janet@adoptionuk.org.uk MOVING AWAY FROM ADOPTION... Fun news, tips and etc’s from the UK! kidskitchen was nominated website of the month in Good Food, April 2007! If you want to get kids cooking, here’s a great website which stocks a range of colourful children’s cookware, all high-quality, scaled-down versions of the adult equivalents. Divided into imaginative sections – ‘flexi-fun’ takes you to silicone bakeware and ‘flipout folders’ to cookery books – the site has an impressive selection. TAKING THE KIDS TO LONDON ZOO? Don’t pack a picnic! The Zoo’s Oasis Café is now offering an organic ‘pick & mix’ children’s lunch box, with a choice of sandwiches, rolls, biscuits, raisins and fruit juices. Visit their londonzoo website. Talking about cooking … Check out the kiddycook website More about cooking … CONCERN GROWS AT THE NUMBER OF OBESE CHILDREN, some parents have taken action to get kids cooking and learning about good eating habits. A few moms from various schools are taking time to teach children how to cook. Children are split into groups, making a variety of dishes and introduced to ingredients they are not generally familiar with. Many kids cannot name basic ingredients and in this way, they are inspired to eat good food and try things they wouldn’t normally eat. One mom says she tells the children to ‘taste with your tongues and not with your eyes’. Cooking also hones in on other skills. Any South African wanting to take up the the challenge? DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO IN THE UK? Visiting or living there? Then check out the activities4children website!
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