After two years of soul searching, reading, studying, attending courses, and having every nook and cranny of our professional, social and personal lives investigated by the authorities, we found ourselves sat in Aylesbury county hall earlier today, waiting to face an enormous panel of social workers, police, psychologists, educators, health workers, doctors, and civil servants in order that they could delivery their judgement on our being allowed to adopt children.
Following a half hour wait in a side room while “our” social worker fielded questions about us (the panel had received the reports about us several weeks previously), we were invited in to meet them.
Everybody in the room took turns to introduce themselves - they seemed professional, friendly and overwhelmingly positive. It wasn’t a firing squad.
We had been forewarned of the type of question that may be asked, so had thought long and hard about our answers. Predictably, the chair of the meeting addressed each of us in turn - “how do you see your life changing if several children are placed with you?”
We must have said something right, because after being shepherded back out of the room, it was only a couple of minutes before the chair and our social worker came back out to meet us.
“We are more than pleased to approve you for the adoption of up to three children”.
Relief. Total and utter relief. After two years we can finally relax and move on the next part of our life. That’s a story for another day though. Today we just want to collapse in a heap.
I just want to say a huge thankyou for the various well wishers and all those out there rooting for us over the last many months. Your support was appreciated more than you will ever know.
I think it’s high time I put the kettle on and made a very british cup of tea.