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Information for professionals.
Moving to Adoption
Introduction to the Moving to Adoption Model
Adoption provides legal security, love and belonging in a new family. However, a child’s move to adoption can also involve the loss of key relationships with birth family members and foster family members, as well as their social and cultural identities as part of those families.
The UEA model was developed in the Centre for Research on Children and Families, University of East Anglia, UK. The research and development team were Elsbeth Neil, Mary Beek and Gillian Schofield.
The UEA model aims to address concerns that when children move to an adoptive family, their feelings of loss and separation can be overlooked. This is especially so when moves happen over a short time period and when contact with foster carers is abruptly cut off.
Why change the introduction process?
Research shows when moves are abrupt, with short introductory periods, they can be distressing for children and for adopters and foster carers. Of particular concern, such moves may also be linked to poorer child outcomes, including Disruptions.
Adopt North East and its partner Local Authorities are committed to evidence-informed best practice around introductions. Accordingly, the Agency has adopted the Moving to Adoption model developed by the University of East Anglia.
What approach does this model use?
The model is underpinned by a framework for providing therapeutic caregiving in foster care and adoption, the Secure Base model and underpinned by six principles:
Opportunities for the foster carers and adopters to build a positive relationship should be promoted at an early stage in the moving process, as this is helpful to the success of the move.
It is helpful for the adopters and the child to become familiar with each other before the adopters undertake caregiving tasks.
All arrangements and timescales should focus on the needs of the child.
The child’s feelings about the move should be held in mind, and responded to sensitively.
Some continuity of foster family relationships and environment will support the child in managing the loss of the foster family and building trust in the adoptive family.
There should be flexibility in the planning, in consultation with the child, the families and the social workers, to allow for emerging circumstances and needs.
The model is not prescriptive in determining how an individual child should be moved to adoption. Instead, it provides a framework for all those involved to promote a secure base for the child during the process of moving from a foster family to an adoptive family.
What do the stages of introductions look like?
The framework is based around three distinct stages of a move:
Stage 1 – Getting to know each other: Contacts between foster carers and prospective adopters, without the child present, followed by play dates between foster carers, prospective adopters and the child.
Stage 2 – Making the move: All the steps to be taken for the child to move from their foster family to their adoptive family.
Stage 3 – Supporting relationships after the move: Developing a child’s trust and sense of security and belonging in the adoptive family and the gradual reduction in the role of the Foster Carers.Here is an example of what an introductions plan may look like
Here is an example of what an introductions plan may look like.
What is the difference between chemistry meetings and play dates?
Chemistry meetings (formerly known as ‘Bumping-Into’ Meetings) are not part of the introduction process. In the period leading up to the formal matching decision, a variety of meetings often take place. These include the potential adopters meeting the child’s Foster Carers, meeting with the Adoption Medical Adviser and a Life Appreciation Day taking place.
As well as these meetings, it is often agreed that a chemistry meeting takes place between the child and potential adopters. Such a meeting can support the decision-making of adopters and professionals that the proposed match is right.
Play dates take part in Stage 1 of the introductory process, there is a gradual process of familiarisation in which the child and the adopters get to know each other and begin to build trust without the adopters taking on any caregiving tasks for the child. Play dates occur prior to the more formal / intensive part of the introductions (Stage 2). The introductions plan provides detailed information of the process for all three stages.
Do play dates start before or after the matching decision?
Under the UEA Moving to Adoption model of introductions, Stage 1 covers activities prior to the commencement of the formal introductions (Stage 2) and subsequent placement of the child with the adopters (Stage 3). Part of Stage 1 involves the adopters and foster carers getting to know each other to develop a positive working relationship.
Another part of Stage 1 is when several play dates take place. These allow the adopters to observe play and the child becoming accustomed to the adopters being around them prior to taking on care tasks. As these dates involve relationship-forming between the child and the adopters, it is good practice that these only take place after a matching decision by the Local Authority Agency Decision Maker following Panel. This ensures that the decision precedes play dates and that the child is only exposed to play with adopters once this is the agreed formal plan for the child.
Are there times in the year when it is not appropriate to start introductions?
It is good practice, so far as is possible, to avoid potentially emotive times in the life of a child when planning a chemistry meeting or planning for a child’s move from Foster Carers to adopters.
When planning, practitioners should seek to avoid Christmas time and other religious festivals, the child’s birthday and other child-specific celebratory and/or memorable days that may cause the child to negatively associate the process and adoption with such occasions.
Where can I get more information?
Adopt North East procedures for this model of introductions can be found at Procedures Online.
The University of East Anglia’s model can be found at the Moving to Adoption website.
If you are in the process of planning introductions, please talk to the adoption Social Worker involved, who will be able to talk to you about your specific plan or please use our contact form for any other queries.
Working for Adopt North East
Adopt North East is a Regional Adoption Agency hosted by North Tyneside Council. It is a partnership between five Local Authorities: Gateshead Council, Newcastle City Council, Northumberland County Council, North Tyneside Council and South Tyneside Council.
Since December 2018, Adopt North East has provided adoption services on behalf of the partnership. Adopt North East has responsibility for recruiting, assessing and supporting prospective adopters, for non-agency adoption work including partner adoptions and intercountry adoptions. Adopt North East has primary responsibility for family finding for all children with adoption plans but the five partner Local Authorities retain overall responsibility for children in their care. Adopt North East provides support to all parties affected by adoption, including adopters, adoptive families, adopted adults and birth relatives, through the provision of Post Adoption Support and Post Box arrangements.
Based in offices just to the east of the city of Newcastle, Adopt North East is a great place to work and develop. Adopt North East provides a unique professional opportunity for its 50 or so staff to contribute to outcomes for children across five local authorities, from Haltwhistle to Hebburn, Bensham to Berwick. Adopt North East is committed to finding the right families for children with a plan of adoption across the partnership and supporting adopters throughout their adoption journey.
Staff working for Adopt North East are employed by North Tyneside Council and enjoy the benefits of being part of the Authority’s Children’s Services, graded Outstanding by Ofsted in March 2020. This includes a commitment to high quality supervision and management oversight, excellent training opportunities, support for career progression, good office accommodation, a modern case management system and agile working solutions.
Adopt North East values applications from candidates ambitious to make a difference to the lives of children and motivated to deliver the best possible adoption services. For an informal discussion and more information about any current or forthcoming vacancies, please contact adoptnortheast@adoptne.org.uk
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Early Permanence
Are you a professional who is supporting a child in an Early Permanence placement and looking for guidance? Please download our leaflet below to see what this means for children and how best to support families.