Adoption Leave if concurrent planning

[Choccyjules]

Hi,

Looking into concurrent planning as Coram does it in partnership with our LA.

Presumably someone has to take Leave from the date of placement with you of the child, which will then only stretch as long as usual, ie one may need to return to work around (hopefully shortly after) the adoption goes through, if that's what happens. Has anyone had experience of this?

I'm aware that it could well turn out to be the case that the adoptive parent actually doesn't return to work following placement and we will consider this possibility. But if they do, I can see this being an issue given there is all the training, assessment plus contact with birth family to happen before final decisions are made.

Be great to hear if anyone has any experience or thoughts on this.

Thanks!

[Meita]

Not from experience, but having looked into it myself, I believe you don't get adoption leave from beginning of placement. Instead, you get fostering allowances. Only if and when the placement switches to adoption placement, is when you get adoption leave.

So you're not necessarily out of cash, as despite not working in your current job, you'd still have an income. But the trouble is you'd have to either quit your job, or take unpaid leave for an indeterminate amount of time (i.e. the time from placement in concurrent planning to official adoption placement) which would then be followed by the regular adoption leave; this would need a very understanding employer.

On the other hand I heard of a case where the prospective mother just kept working, with reduced hours, during the 'fostering' phase. Contact was 5x/week, 5h each day. So between dropping off and picking up she managed to get quite a lot of work done. However apparently it was incredibly stressful, not the least because of the lack of sleep that comes with looking after a baby.

Though I think there have been attempts to change this. Not sure if successful and if yes, from when on. You could maybe check with Coram directly. They would know.

[Choccyjules]

Thanks, am going to have a look at our work's policy on this when I go in tomorrow. Have read somewhere else that it may be difficult getting leave before the Adoption goes through; also that the gov are 'rushing through' changes to this....for 2015 :-(

[Meita]

I guess at the moment concurrent planning is really only suitable to a small minority of prospective adopters.

For us, the financial aspect is not relevant, as I am not earning a wage anyway, so would not qualify for adoption leave in any case (I'm a student). But on the other hand we will have to think very carefully about what it would mean for our DS who is still so young.

[HappySunflower]

I did it, I took a combination of annual and unpaid leave from work.
Fortunately I had very understanding and supportive employers.
My adoption leave/pay kicked in immediately following matching panel, which usually takes place soon after the child is granted a Placement Order for adoption.

It can be difficult though-as the fostering allowance isn't very much at all in some areas-certainly nowhere near my full time salary.

It was well worth it in the end, though! :)

[Choccyjules]

If the child is placed with someone who is being assessed to eventually adopt them, why is there that non-adoption time at the beginning? I read that many concurrent planning children come to their prospective family directly from the hospital - so why is there a limbo period? Is that because the adopters haven't been fully approved?

[Meita]

choccyjules I think the issue is that, at the time when a concurrent planning child is placed with you, it has not yet been decided if that child will eventually be adopted at all, or not. The child may yet go 'back' to the birth family. There has to be a placement order (I believe) - that's when a judge decides that this baby will indeed be placed for adoption.

If an adoption order is already in place, then it wouldn't be concurrent planning. The baby would be placed with you as a normal adoption placement.

But I think there can't be placement orders for unborn children. So the processes to get a placement order can only be started when the baby is actually born. So, even if SWs are 100% certain that the baby will not be able to remain/go back to BM, there is this time when baby needs to be fostered. It can't be adopted yet because there is no placement order! And without a placement order, it would be like 'stealing' a baby... a baby can't be placed for adoption before a judge has decided that this baby is to be adopted.

Hence concurrent planning. In the time where there is not (yet) a placement order - baby can't be placed for adoption, but can't stay with birth family either - instead of having the baby fostered by a third party, baby is fostered by a family who would, once there is a placement order, be going on to adopt the baby. It is still fostering, it can't be an adoptive placement before a judge has decided. That would be pre-empting the judges decision, which won't do.
That's also why there always has to be contact, even if SW are 100% sure that baby won't be going back to birth mum, and even if contact is obviously detrimental to baby's well-being. It's 'only' SW, not a judge who has decided this. So until a judge comes to a decision, the possibility for baby returning to birth mum needs to be kept open, otherwise they would again be pre-empting the judge's decision. So there needs to be contact, in order for the BM not to be a 'stranger' to the baby by the time the judges make their decision.

[Choccyjules]

Ok, that's clearer, got it! Thanks. I didn't really know what a Placement order was (lots of jargon to learn).

[Choccyjules]

Happy, I must apologise for missing/skimming some of what you wrote and not responding to it. I would love to hear more about your concurrent planning experience sometime when you get a minute.

[Middlesexmummy]

Hi Choccy
We took dd at 7 months thru concurrency , it was very traumatic as dd had contact 3 times a week till the placement order came through . We were told the order would only take a month but it took 3 and during that time she had contact with BM who was q nasty to me via the contact book . I'm pleased to say that we are finally nearing the end , she s now 17 months and on August 16th we will finally have our adoption order and she will finally be all ours ..... Just to say its been worth it and our only chance as we wanted a baby .... Good luck x

[Choccyjules]

Hello, am so glad you are nearing the end of the legal stuff
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I understand that the contact with the birth family is what sets concurrent planning apart from fostering to adopt? I am certainly not sure about being able to facilitate all the contact and the emotions that will bring out in people and the potential LO. But given we can't have an older child as DD is 5 (it saddens me that so many children wait when older) I would love to have a young child if possible.
However we have a long way to go and many discussions to have before we get as far as making that sort of decision. Or whether to go for anything other than straightforward adoption.

[Choccyjules]

I forgot to ask, do you see the birth mother at the contact sessions? You spoke of a book so maybe not.

[Middlesexmummy]

Hi Choccy , no we never had contact ourselves with the BM as we were in it for the intention to adopt , it wasn't meant to go on so long .... During contact , a key worker used to come and pick her up and drop her off . Our details remained confidential . It's hard and your agency would never consider concurrency unless the placement order was very very likely .....