The children who need adopting

Alice 2 years 3 months

Alice is a very happy white British child who is full of energy and inquisitive about everything in her surroundings.  She is a determined child and has benefited from the stability that her foster placement has offered.  Alice was born at 31 weeks gestation.  She is a pretty, petite little girl whose weight gain has been slow, but is now improving. Alice’s carers find her a very loving and sociable child; who will always greet people she knows with a hug and a smile.  Although Alice has had a difficult start in life she is making excellent progress with no current health concerns. Alice’s physical development is exceeding expectations. Alice walks around very confidently and quickly, climbing up and down the stairs and her speech has improved and she can say a few words. Alice’s mother abused alcohol during the pregnancy and Alice displays the classic facial features of a child with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and has been diagnosed with FAS.  Alice is quite small for her age and she may have continuing growth impairment and developmental delay associated with FAS.

Colin 5 years

Colin is an active white British child of slight build with a cheeky smile and giggle. He loves being outdoors, playing football, climbing and running in the park. He is also happy drawing and reading to his carers. 

Colin is the youngest in his school year but is doing well and teaching staff are very positive about his progress. He can be cautious about making friends and stands back a little to ‘see if they are going to be nice to him’. 

He is in good health but wears glasses and has to wear an eye patch to correct a squint at particular times of the day. He is fine with this and understands it is helping his sight to improve. He has a good appetite and no issues whatsoever with food.

Colin has suffered a lot of loss and enjoyed a relationship with an older sister (11) until recently she was placed in permanent foster care. Colin will benefit from adopters who are able to be open and encourage him to share memories of his family, particularly of his sister and cousins with whom there will be letter-box contact.

Diane 2 years 9 months

Diane is a petite active and lively white British 2 year old. She loves Peppa Pig and watching her Cinderella DVD. Diane enjoys adult attention and interaction. She is a smiley and engaging little girl who takes an interest in her surroundings. 

Diane has a diagnosis of microcephaly. Currently there are no concerns regarding her health and development but the exact impact of this condition will not be known until she is older. She is slightly delayed in her speech and language but it is hoped that she will catch up. Diane will be starting nursery soon and currently attends local toddler groups. Diane sleeps well. She is a somewhat fussy eater but this is not a concern.  Diane lives with other children in her foster placement and likes their company

Harry 9 months

Harry is a baby of white British/white British Asian Pakistani who has been in his foster placement since discharge from hospital. He is described as a delightful boy, happy and engaging.  Harry came into care due to the historical risk of neglect. He has short optic nerves, a squint and is long sighted in both eyes but his sight is improving. He has prescription spectacles but is not keen on wearing them. Harry is developing well and is showing no signs of delay.  However, his birth mother reported that she drank alcohol during the early months of pregnancy but no formal diagnosis has been made regarding foetal alcohol syndrome/spectrum disorder. 

Harry can sit up for short periods without support and can stand up holding your fingers. He rolls over confidently and either rolls to get where he wants or pushes himself along on his back using his legs. He loves toys that make noises, music and doing ‘row the boat’.  Harry enjoys a varied diet and is not fazed by eating foods of different textures. He sleeps well, enjoys bath times, is blowing raspberries and chatters a lot.

Ian 3½ years

Ian is a petite child with blonde hair and blue eyes of Romanian/White British heritage. A happy and contented child who is always laughing. He is a very affectionate child and likes to seek comfort and cuddles from his foster carer.

Ian enjoys scribbling, drawing and activities with repetitive action i.e. filling and emptying items to and from containers. He likes to play independently or alongside adults. Ian enjoys being read to by his foster carer and also playing with toy cars and trucks. He loves sand and water activities as well. He likes cooking and will stir for prolonged periods of time and then play with the dough. Ian does not like bath time and will scream when he is bathed. Ian is developing his own character and will display his displeasure vocally

Ian’s speech is delayed and he has a degree of hearing loss. Currently he is wearing a hearing aid on both ears to correct his hearing whilst waiting for an ear operation.  There are some uncertainties for his future development of his hearing and speech. Ian was removed from the care of his birth mother due to significant neglect.  He has been in foster placement since 9 December 2010.

Jon 4 years

Jon is a stocky little boy with fair hair and blue eyes of white British heritage. He is developing the ability to be mischievous and has learnt to play independently and alongside others. He is a gentle and sensitive child who finds change difficult, finding new situations overwhelming and he will need patient and sensitive adopters. 

Jon has been in his current placement since coming into care in August 2010, and his foster carers have provided him with a loving and stimulating home and he appears to have developed a secure attachment to both carers. Initially he was reluctant to receive care from the male foster carer.

Jon is a healthy child with no identified physical health needs. Jon has some developmental delay this is most noticeable with his speech and this can become frustrating for him.   Jon comes from a large sibling group with a difficult background. 

Jon attends nursery four times a week. He enjoys spending time playing with his peers and he has formed friendships. He has won a prize for making a beautiful paper flower in a nursery competition. Jon is able to engage in the wider aspects of living in a family such as outings, family gatherings and playing with the children in the extended family. Jon is in a very settled routine in his foster placement and he eats and sleeps well.

Jon would benefit from being part of an active family who can offer a nurturing environment in which he can form healthy, safe and secure attachments. The adopters will need to offer Jon the opportunity to socialise with his peers and encourage his emotional development.

Jimmy 4 years 9 months

Jimmy is a white British child with some Caribbean heritage on both sides of his family. He is a healthy, bright, engaging and lively child who has made excellent progress since being placed in foster care in August 2011. He is responding well to the boundaries now in place and although his behaviour can still be challenging at times this is well within manageable limits. Jimmy is a cheerful, chatty and sociable little boy with lots of energy and who loves the out-door life-style he has in his current placement. He is able to express his emotions and responds well to affection and comfort from his foster carers and is establishing a good attachment to them.

He attends school which he enjoys. He shows no signs of developmental or learning difficulties.  He has a lively, interested and active mind. Jimmy enjoys riding his bike and go-cart, Lego, toy cars, his ‘Hot Wheel’ track and train set. He loves water and is an enthusiastic swimmer.

Jon & Lisbeth  twins aged 5 years 9 months

Jon and Lisbeth are both healthy children of white British heritage. They could overeat if not assisted to manage their appetite due to past experience of neglect.

Jon is a quieter, more thoughtful child, analysing and considering situations more so than Lisbeth. He can ride a bike without stabilisers, enjoys trampolines and is learning to swim but needs two armbands. Jon likes ‘Cars 2’, Mario cars on the DS and ‘Ben 10’. He started football club this term at school.

Lisbeth is a happy sociable child, with a strong, confident personality. She is a vibrant and engaging girl, happy to talk, share her toys and play. Her carer said she is an enthusiastic child who 'gets on and does'. Lisbeth can ride a bike with stabilisers, ride a scooter and can swim. Lisbeth likes colouring-in, drawing and singing. She also likes the trampoline. Lisbeth loves things that are pink and princesses and playing with the mini dolls house. She started dance classes this term at school.

Both children are happy in the company of men and women and have a good imagination so can entertain themselves alone as well as play with other children. There is some delay in their reading and writing but it is improving all the time. They can count to 20, recite the alphabet, and can write their names using phonics to spell it out.

Kenny 3yrs 11mths

Kenny is a determined character of white British heritage who has a happy sociable nature. Two years ago Kenny was not expected to be walking but now he is walking, running and climbing. Kenny has a love of the outdoors and is eager to be out and loves having new adventures every day. For example, he loves  putting on his wellies and getting  messy in the sandpit! He has  been camping with his carers and their family and was in his element. He loves to run across the fields when his carer takes the dog for a walk. He  has  benefitted from speech therapy and now can speak clearly in short sentences. Kenny’s future is still uncertain though he is a little boy who seems determined to get ‘the max’ out of life.

Adopters will need to be realistic as Kenny is like a younger child in many respects. For example he will whizz round with a toy car car but does not plays imaginatively with a it yet. He tends to bolt his food and hasn't got the hang of chewing it yet, so his new family will need to watch this carefully and prepare food accordingly. he has a great appetite though and is a happy, sociable little boy who gain enormously from having the activity of older children going on around him. Kenny has developed strong attachments to his carers where he has been since he came into care at three days old. His experienced carers are enthusiastic about helping people get to know Kenny and understand him as well as they do. They are really positive about introducing him to his new family

Kim 4 years 3 months

Kim is a white British child with light brown/blonde hair, hazel eyes and has been described as having a lovely disposition. She can have strops like any other 5 year old but she has such a wonderful temperament she is not moody for long. She has been in her current placement since coming into care in January 2012 and the foster carers have provided her with a loving and stimulating home. Kim has settled into good routines, she can take care of her own personal care needs, eats a varied diet and relates well to other children.

Kim has shown that she is able to use imaginative play and can play alongside and with her peers. Her health is good though she needs dental treatment in the near future. Kim has slight developmental delay, most likely due to the lack of stimulation and neglect when she lived with her birth family but has progressed well in school. Kim is reading age appropriate books; her writing is immature but progressing. She can count up to 20, recognises coins, her language is fine though she needs encouragement to express herself more.

Kim needs a family with a sensitive approach who can be encouraging and patient. They will also need to have a good understanding of how her earlier life experiences  including domestic violence may impact on her future development and behaviour.

Kris 16 months

Kris is of dual heritage, white British and possibly African/Caribbean/Asian. He is a delightful sociable little boy who loves to join in when his carer is singing and loves to be talked to and to be tickled.

He has developed a good attachment to his carers and is responsive to everyone in the household.  Kris is described by his carers as ‘an extremely settled child who only protests when he has good reason!’ He has a good appetite and loves new tastes.

Kris is reaching his milestones though adopters will need to be aware that he had some symptoms of drug withdrawal at birth. Given his birth mothers own history, there will be also difficult stories to share with Kris. He was born with a minor condition affecting his legs which curve slightly (positional talipes). This is to do with his position in the womb and has improved greatly with physiotherapy and is not hampering his development. Kris crawls with ease and will pull himself up to stand and walks around the furniture or in his walker.

Katie 7½ years

Katie is a white British child who is described by her carers as a ‘kind and gentle little girl who loves it when it’s just the girls.’ Katie has a close relationship with the female carer and her daughter and loves to do ‘girly things’. Katie works hard at her reading and enjoys school where she has some additional help with literacy. She enjoys the health and fitness club at school and the book club. Katie hopes her dance lessons will continue when she joins her new family.

Katie responds well to clear boundaries. Initially she had no awareness of differences in relationships and would ‘go to anyone’ but now is beginning to learn about differences in relationships. Katie needs adopters who will help her confidence to grow and to offer her a loving and stable environment. Katie’s carers feel she will benefit from adopters who have young children in their network as she just loves the company of younger children.

Amy 6 years 4 months

Amy is a little girl who loves to laugh and has a good sense of humour. Her carer describes her as an easy going child, who responds well to boundaries and rules.

Amy has good language skills and is highly motivated in completing tasks. She likes to be kept busy, not often sat in front of the TV! She is progressing well at school, and it is felt with the right encouragement she will do well in school. She mixes well with other children, and enjoys games and imaginary play.

Amy is part of a large sibling group and experienced considerable neglect in her early years.  Amy needs to be the only child in a family, or the youngest by a significant age gap. She needs a family who can provide a very nurturing environment, where Amy can receive the attention she needs. Amy is proud of the fact that she is a quarter Caribbean so adopters who are white British who can encourage her pride in her identity will be welcomed alongside those who reflect her ethnicity.

Ethan 2 years 7 months 

Ethan is a healthy little white British  boy with blond hair and blue eyes. He is tall for his age and of sturdy build. He loves racing his cars, kicking a ball and being outdoors. His carers say he is not short of energy and is a joy to care for. They think he is already showing a love of all sports.

Ethan has been with his carers since he was eleven months old and has developed an attachment to them. They say he loves cuddles. His speech is coming on and has improved greatly since he has had grommets fitted. Ethan enjoys the company of other children and loves going to the Mother and Toddler group locally. His new family will need to have plenty of energy to keep up with him and a love of the outdoors would be a real bonus. Families with or without older children will be considered.

Maria 7 years

Maria is a seven year old girl who is described as a “child who touches your heart”.  As the second eldest of four children she had the role of protector of her younger siblings.  Since moving into foster care she has received the individual attention she craved and she has thrived. Maria has become part of the church attended by her foster carer and it is important to her that she is adopted into a family who are practising Christians.

Maria wears hearing aids and glasses and attends main stream school where she is doing really well.  It is very important that Maria is placed with a family who reflect her identity - white English/black Caribbean as she has struggled with understanding why she has a different identity to her younger half siblings. With the help of her foster carer and additional direct work she has come to grips with this and is beginning to value who she is.  Maria loves to play on her own and with other children.  She has a good imagination and loves to be creative.

Damon 2 years 3 months

Damon   is an alert, happy little boy of white British heritage who has a ready smile for his carers.  He is a toddler who loves playing with a ball, enjoys music and dancing.  His favourite toy is Woody from Toy Story.  Damon loves bath time and the opportunity to play with water.  Damon was born at 41 weeks and after some minor difficulties has continued to develop extremely well and is reaching all of his developmental milestones although he is short in height. 

Damon babbles delightfully and has a small number of words.  He has good strong attachments to both his male and female carers whom he has been with since birth.  Damon loves walking and enjoys visits to the local park. He has a good routine in placement and eats and sleeps well. Damon comes from a complex family background with a difficult story to tell. Although Damon is a healthy child there is some uncertainty about certain aspects of his development.

Flora 2 years 11 months

Flora is a happy little white British girl who is currently meeting her developmental milestones. 

She was placed in care in October 2010 after experiencing neglect and witnessing domestic violence. Flora has a natural, age appropriate curiosity and she is always interested in what is going on around her. Flora is of average height and build with fair hair, blue eyes and long eye lashes. 

Flora was born a healthy baby with no concerns.  Her day to day health is good and she has no known medical issues.  Flora has been described by her foster carer as being a determined little girl but easily distracted.  She has a ready smile and enjoys being busy playing and interacting with the people around her. Flora enjoys her meals and there is very little food that she does not like.  Flora has a good routine and she is thriving on the stimulation that is provided in the foster placement, nursery/playgroup.  She has started to attend nursery once a week.

Peter 5 years 3 months

Peter is an endearing and engaging little boy of Romanian, Polish and British heritage with dark brown hair and brown eyes.  He has responded positively to the routine and boundaries provided by his foster carers and he has formed secure attachments.  He is described by his carer as a pleasure to care for.  Peter has been in care since 2010. 

Peter and his brother were removed from their birth mother after experiencing significant neglect in his early life. Peter enjoys one to one attention; he likes reading to his carers and engaging them in his play.   Peter is able to play by himself and loves to spend time with other children. Peter did experience some developmental delay and he has made significant progress since being in foster care.  His development is now within the normal range.

Naomi 5 years 8 months

Naomi is white British has blonde hair, blue eyes and is described as small for her age. She is generally well behaved and responds well to the boundaries and routines in the foster placement. Naomi had found new situations distressing but has given new things a go e.g swimming and camping. Naomi has had speech and language therapy and made great progress. Her adoption medical states, Naomi has general developmental delay, most likely due to the lack of stimulation when she lived with her birth family. Naomi comes from a large sibling group and the decision has been made to place all of the children separately.

Naomi is in a good routine and eats and sleeps well. She started full time school in September 2011, and although she has found this transition difficult, she has settled well. Naomi has shown that she is able to use imaginative play, can play alongside and gets on well with other children. Naomi enjoys trampolining, going for walks and watching ‘Cbeebies’. She also enjoys cooking and baking which she does with the carers’ teenage daughter.

Naomi enjoys reading and looking at books. Naomi came into the care of the local authority in August 2010 for chronic neglect and abuse. Naomi needs a family with a sensitive approach who can be encouraging and patient. They will also need to have a good understanding of how her earlier life experiences may impact on her future development and behaviour.

Jill and John 3 years 11 months

Jill and John are twins of Black African/Caribbean heritage. Jill is the elder of the two by one minute. She is of slim build with brown eyes and black hair which her carer likes to style in cornrow.  Jill is an inquisitive and happy little girl and her carer describes her as a delight to care for.  She is adventurous and is always seeking new things to touch.

Jill is independent for her age and likes to do things herself. She is more talkative and friendlier than her brother. Jill is in good physical health with no identified health concerns. Jill eats and sleeps well, although is a little more fussy than her brother when it comes to trying new foods. Jill is meeting all of her developmental milestones. John is of slim build with short black hair and brown eyes. He is a happy little boy who wakes up each day with a smile on his face.

John is said to be quieter and more patient in his manner than Jill. He is described as ‘cuddly’ with people he knows and cares about. He is also very sensitive and gets easily upset but responds well to reassurance and a cuddle. John is in good health with no identified health concerns. John eats and sleeps well and he is meeting his developmental milestones.  The children are due to start part-time nursery. Jill is more interactive with others than John, who needs more time before he is ready to engage.

The children would benefit from a two parent family who are a cultural match and will help them to build a positive identity. The adopters will need to be energetic and able to focus on developing the children’s individual needs as well as independence.

Susie 3 years 11 months

Susie is of dual heritage. Her mother is white British and her father is black British of African Caribbean heritage. Susie is described by her carers as very loving, happy, sociable little girl with a lovely smile. She presents as a bright child with a great capacity to concentrate and focus Susie is very independent and can be frustrated if she cannot do things on her own. 

Susie’s birth mother used drugs during her pregnancy and Susie was born showing signs of drug withdrawal.  There are no other health concerns for Susie and she is thought to be meeting her developing well.  Susie is of slight built and could be considered quite tall for her age. She has soft African hair, brown eyes and brown skin tone.  Susie is well attached to her carers and finds it difficult to share them with other children. She is however happy to play independently on her own with different toys.