In our post on extended family we briefly referred to the fact that for many young people "family" does not consist of birth parents and siblings. Many young people grow up in the adoption and fostering system. Some young people may have been adopted or long term fostered when they were so young that they have no memory of a time before and this is the only family that they have ever known. For some of these young people there can be a sense of not completely knowing who they are or where they came from. (although for many this may not be the case).
Some young people who have been in the foster care system may suddenly be faced with the reality that they are not going "home". That can mean that they are not going back to mum or dad tonight, but can also be the wrench of leaving a comfortable long term placement where they felt like a part of the family and were settled in their routine. Those who are in and out of care may also experience similar feelings. Even the everyday act of going to school is interupted.
Young people who are in fostering placements for their own protection. To remove them from a difficult situation at home or to help teach them a more healthy way of life. In particular we think of those in specialist remand fostering placements.
Some young people are adopted by their step parents. Whilst this can help cement relationships with their newly formed family and create a legal smoothness in many ways, it inevitably leads to a breaking of links with part of their history and a loss of a sense of connectedness with their original family for good or for bad.
It is often forgotten that the birth children of parents who adopt or foster have a vital role to play in the forming of a new family for however long, from a 1 night emergency placement to a lifetime of sibling rivalry! These young people also have to cope with changes to their family unit and routine although the benefits and learning for all can be huge.
Having said all of this sometimes the breaks created by fostering and adoption can create a positive effect for young people from the situations they find themselves in and help them to grow to be the best they can be in a happy healthy environment. For some young people fostering/adoption literally saves lives.
We pray for all those involved in fostering and adoption;
The young people, those being fostered and those with a foster sibling
The siblings left behind
The parents, grandparents, aunties and all others in any new formed family
The birth parents and their families
The Social Workers, Placement Workers, Youth Workers, Retrobation Service, LSB, information services, Letterbox Contact Workers and anyone else involved in the system
We also pray for those in need of fostering and adoption care and waiting for their first intervention.
