PACT Adopter Champions
PACT appreciates how wonderful parenting can be but also how challenging it can be at times and how sometimes adoptive parents need some extra support or insight into understanding the needs of their children.
PACT has recruited and trained an amazing team of adoptive parents as support practitioners. They have in-depth knowledge of the issues a family may face and are PACT’s “experts by experience” – parents who have adopted children and have built up a wealth of experience and an in-depth understanding of the joys and challenges of raising adopted children.
Adopter champions are not social workers or counsellors but they are here to offer other adopters and prospective adopters one-off or regular support on a range of issues, including:
- Adopting siblings or older children
- Single parent adoption or LGBTQ+ parenting
- Transitions and support and strategies for settling in a child
- Behavioural support and strategies to help with eating, sleeping, ‘tantrums’, aggression, anxiety, regression and other behaviours that are deemed as challenging
- Helping parents to understand their children’s own story including how to talk with children about their story and how to revisit this at different ages
- Supporting parents with navigating educational support in nursery and school settings or as part of education other than at school (EOTAS)
- Accessing funding for your child or children
They can also make referrals to PACT’s FACTS and Strengthening Families teams to help you access other types of support and advice if you need it.
PACT is here to support you at every stage of your journey.
If you would like support from our adopter champions, you can speak to your social worker or contact our team at adoptionsupport@pactcharity.org where you will be put in touch with the most appropriate adopter champion.
Meet our adopter champions!
Megan, Adopter Champion Team Leader
Megan is married to Charles and has two sons, her birth son is aged 23 and her adopted son is aged 21. She has 15 years’ experience of adoption and brings with her 16 years’ experience of setting up support services that make a real impact on those supported.
“Adoption has challenged the way I saw parenting and took me on one of the most challenging yet rewarding journeys as I learned to develop an individual relationship with each child and to implement therapeutic parenting strategies that worked. This enabled my children to navigate life, its obstacles and hurdles and develop into young adults who are overcomers, well rounded and confident in who they are.”
Mark
Mark with his husband Laurence adopted a sibling group eight years ago, a brother and sister who are now 13 and 14 years old. Mark is a specialist teacher for looked after/adopted children and teaches within the special educational sector, and he can assist you in navigating the education system. He can also help in answering questions and providing support for LGBTQIA+ and sibling adoption.
“Having two children move in with us and become their parents has been completely life-changing. Despite the challenges and hurdles along the way, every day we are thankful for the joys that our children bring to our lives and those magic moments of being proud parents.”
Sue
Sue is married to Jim and she has nine adopted children. Her children are aged between 18 and 38 and she has 29 years of adoption experience.
“Adoption has been the most amazing roller-coaster of ups and downs that has taught me so much. Even when things are tough I try to focus on the end game of helping my children to heal and become well-adjusted, functioning and happy adults. I have learned that this journey is a marathon, not a sprint and that as a family we can achieve much. I am happy to support adopters as they navigate their journey, however challenging it might be.”
Beth
Beth is married to Lee and became an adoptive parent 18 years ago to two sons, who are full siblings, now aged 26 and 24. She has taught in secondary schools for the past 32 years and has extensive experience of working with teenagers. Beth can offer support to families who are adopting older children and siblings who have experienced early trauma.
“Becoming an adoptive parent has been the most profound experience which has redefined my understanding of what it means to be human. There are many challenges that all those on an adoption journey need to overcome, but the rewards of nurturing our children into adulthood and independence put all those hard times into perspective.”
Lisa, Paul and their son Timmy received support from PACT’s Adopter Champion service after Timmy was experiencing issues at home and in school.
Lisa said: “Without a doubt I would recommend the Adopter Champion service. It has truly saved my family! We now have a wonderful little boy who enjoys spending time with his family, and comes to us for comfort. At home now we are not just surviving, we are thriving.”
Families who received support from the Adopter Champion service said…
Thank you for all of your support and advice over the last couple of years. I know I took the first step in contacting PACT; however, I truly believe your intervention saved our family. Our home is unrecognisable to how it was before. There is now joy and laughter (most of the time!) with proper hugs and cuddles. With your help, I no longer feel alone and isolated. I have now found my mojo again. [Our son] is in a much better place emotionally now. We now see the funny, cheeky, loving little boy he truly is.
We now have a wonderful little boy who enjoys spending time with his family, and comes to us for comfort. At home now we are not just surviving, we are thriving.
Everything is going really well and we are in a much better space than before. Thank you for listening to me during our conversations. It really was helpful to let things out to someone who truly understands what we had been going through and have your perspective on things.
[Our adopter champion] was able to reassure us that we were not alone in experiencing these issues and he reminded us of why they might be happening. He was able to identify areas of need and liaise with myself and PACT to get the support our family needed.
The work of our adopter champions is further enhanced by a pool of volunteer adoption peer supporters, who are able to provide more experience from which to draw upon and support prospective and existing adopters on their journey.
If you would like support from our adopter champions or to speak to a volunteer peer supporter, you can speak to your social worker or contact our team at adoptionsupport@pactcharity.org.
You can download a flyer about our adopter champions here.
PACT is grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund for funding that supports the cost of providing the Adopter Champions service
