We Made a Wish (2026)

09/01/2026

Introductions or transitions are when adopters are gradually introduced to their child once their match has been approved. This post looks at intros when matching happens after the care and placement orders have been granted, not for foster-to-adopt placements.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The best way to prepare is to get as much information as you can from the foster carer about your child’s likes, dislikes, favourite toys, routines, and things like the brand of washing powder they use.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Sleep with a snuggle blanket or soft toy (even if your child is older) so that they have your smell on them. These can be given to the foster carer so that your child is familiar with your smell.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Make sure you wear the same perfume/after shave/deodorant so that your child smells the same fragrance when they meet you for the first time.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Create some kind of photo album or laminate photos of your immediate family to be given to the foster carers to help prepare your child for meeting you. If you can, wear the same clothes on the first day of intros as you wore in the photos.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The process is a difficult time for a child. They’re gradually being taken away from the main carer in their life by relative strangers. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Maintaining the status quo in terms of routine is best as it helps your child to feel safe. So doing the same types of things as the foster carer does, using the same brand/clothes can really help.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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You may not agree with a child taking a nap in a pushchair rather than a cot, or the types of food or drink they have. But intros are not the time to change anything. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Keep routines the same and gradually make changes as your child settles and develops their attachment with you.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What tips were you given that helped you prepare for introductions?

07/01/2026

The legal framework is probably the part of the adoption process that adopters are told the least about. But it can be one of the most important parts, particularly for early permanence when adopters are also acting as foster carers.

Family lawyer explains the framework in her latest article in We Made a Wish, covering topics like contact, appeals, problems and delays.

If you’d like to read the article, comment “framework” and I’ll send you the link to read it.

19/12/2025

Adoption introductions (or transitions) are the process that introduces your child to you and your home. This post looks at the process for traditional matching rather than for a foster-for-adoption placement.
Each agency will do things slightly differently, but this post will give you an idea of how they work.

The first day takes place at the foster carer’s home. It lasts a couple of hours and helps your child to become familiar with you.

The foster carer will continue to do most of the caring, such as feeding. Yours or your child’s social worker should visit at some point to make sure everything is ok.

The next few days will start at the foster carer’s home and gradually move into the community. You will start to take over care by being involved with feeding/dressing/naps etc.

The foster carer will probably come with you for a walk or trip to the park initially, and then you’ll take your child into the community on your own.

Intros will then start to move from the foster carer’s home to yours, initially with them being there. Then you’ll have full days with your child either at your home or taking them into the community before returning them to the foster carer’s home for the bedtime routine.

There will be a review on the final day to make sure everyone is happy, and then you’ll pick up your child from the foster carer’s home for the final time and bring them home.

If you’d like to read some adoption introduction stories, click on the magazine link in my bio or send me a message/leave a comment and I’ll send you the link.

If you’ve got any questions about intros, let me know and if you’d like to read introductions interviews in the magazine, comment “intros” and I’ll send you the link.

15/12/2025

Matching is where approved adopters are linked and then matched with a child or sibling group.
When you’re going through the assessment process, you’ll talk through with your social worker the kinds of issues you feel you can and can’t manage.

This is a really tough part of the assessment because it feels wrong to pick and choose the type of issues you’re child is likely to have. But the whole point of this is so that the placement has the best possible chance of success.

It’s in no one’s interests for a child to be placed with you when you know you’re not going to be able to cope with the issues they have, however harsh that may sound.

A child who needs to be placed for adoption has already experienced trauma and disruption. The last thing they need is new parents who can’t cope with that.

The criteria you agree during the assessment will form the basis of the search for your match. But you may find that once you start looking, you want to change the age range or feel there are some things you can’t manage that you thought you could, once you get more information.

Matching is a rollercoaster and probably the most difficult part of the process.

If you’d like to read some of the matching interviews in the magazine, comment “matching” and I’ll send you the link.

12/12/2025

The mechanics of exactly how an adoption Panel works will vary from agency to agency, but generally they work as follows:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Once your assessment is complete, your social worker will complete your PAR (prospective adopter report). You will see the report and have the opportunity to ask for things to be changed if there are errors, missing pieces of information, or if there’s something you’re not happy with.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The report will need to be finalised in good time for the members to read it before the Panel date. If it isn’t going to be ready for whatever reason, Panel may have to be postponed.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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On the day of the Panel, you’ll either attend in person or virtually. All of the Panel members will have read and discussed the report and will raise any questions they have with the chairperson before you go in. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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You will then go before the Panel. You’ll be introduced to all of the members and the chairperson will ask you some questions. Sometimes these will have been given to you before you go in, sometimes they won’t. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The questions will be based on the information in your report - they may want more detail about something, or just to talk through an issue. Panels will always ask some questions because they want to get to know you in person, rather than just what they’ve read about you in your report. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Once you’ve answered the questions, you’ll be asked to wait outside while they make their decision. You’ll then be called back in to be given the decision.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Your social worker will go through the mechanics of how Panel works with you so you’ll know what to expect.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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If you’ve been before Panel, how did it work? What tips do you wish you’d been given about preparing or coping with the day? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

02/12/2025

If you’re struggling to find the perfect gift, I’ve got a lovely giveaway of two vouchers to create a storybook.

Storydo is a bespoke family storybook created to celebrate your family.

It helps you tell the unique story of how your family came to be with the book builder, which builds the story and allows you to decide which events to add, such as the early days as a family, holidays and big events and milestones.

A voucher to create a book is the perfect gift for family and friends, so they can create the book themselves.

The giveaway is for two separate vouchers, which enable the recipient to create a book for free, with only the postage costs to pay.

To enter, follow We Made a Wish, like this post, and tag someone you think would like to enter. It would be great if you went and said hello to too.

Please only comment on this post.

I’d really appreciate you sharing this post far and wide so that new people can find out about the magazine and benefit from the help and support it provides, and also have a chance of winning the prize.

The giveaway closes at 8 pm on Saturday, 6th December, and the winners will be picked at random on Monday, 8th.

T&Cs
This giveaway is in no way affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Instagram.

It closes at 8pm on Saturday, 6th December, and the winners will be announced via Stories on 8th December.

21/11/2025

Christmas can be a tricky time for kids (and adults) with so much going on, breaks in routine and overwhelm.

has written a great article for the magazine sharing some tips to help us support our kids so the festive period if one we can all enjoy. Common “festive” and I’ll send you the link.

$![Support\_network.png](https://trello.com/1/cards/67645578fa60b9fa16decad0/attachments/676455b08c421d5cd5bff50c/downloa...$

17/11/2025

![Support\_network.png](https://trello.com/1/cards/67645578fa60b9fa16decad0/attachments/676455b08c421d5cd5bff50c/download/Support_network.png)

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A support network doesn’t have to be close physically. Covid has meant we’ve all had to change how we access our network anyway. Not being able to physically see people means we’ve had to come up with other ways of keeping in touch.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We live about 12 miles from my mum and sister. Rather than drive the twenty or so minutes there, I often text them photos of a rash or bump to check whether I need to be worried. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Quality is most definitely better than quantity when it comes to support. Think about who you can rely on when you really need to? Whether that’s someone who can drop everything and come round (socially distanced) or someone you can ring at 2 am and you know they’ll answer their phone and will talk through with you whatever’s going on. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Having five people you know you can absolutely rely on, is better than 25 who don’t quite come up to proof.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Support networks can also be virtual. Whether it’s the or an online group you’re part of, if it’s somewhere you can ask for help, put it down. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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If you’re thinking about adoption and would like to know more about the assessment, how it works and what happens after you’re approved, I’ve written a step-by-step guide to the process. If you like to find out more about it, comment ”Book” or drop me a message and I’ll send you the link.
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As always, if you’ve got any questions about adoption, get in touch. And if there’s a topic you’d like to read about in the magazine, let me know. ⠀⠀

14/11/2025

Guest blog written Emma Post wrote this insightful peive about navigating separation and divorce after adoption.

This is a collaborative piece with

Along with some top tips and thought provoking questions, there is also the reminder that your child needs to be at the centre of the decision making process

If you would like to read the full article comment ‘After Divorce’ and we will DM you the link

10/11/2025

It will depend on how many children you’d like to be approved for.

If you’d like to be considered to adopt a sibling group, you’ll need enough rooms so that each child can have their own room.

It might be that they share, and that continues once they move, but you need to have space for everyone to have their own room if it’s needed.

Moving isn’t the only option if you don’t currently have enough bedrooms. If you own your home, can you extend? Can any of the existing rooms be divided into two if you rent?

If you’ve got any concerns about the size of your property, talk to some agencies to find out what their requirements are.

It’s much better to do any changes or move as early in the process as possible so that you’re all sorted by the time you go to panel. ⠀

06/10/2025

Becoming a parent via adoption is a rollercoaster of emotions.

It’s wonderful, challenging, beautiful, brutal and a whole range of other things. It’s a unique journey and one that’s often difficult to share with parents who have birth children.

When our eldest daughter came home, I felt like a total imposter in the parent and child clubs we went to.

I felt like everyone knew what they were doing, and I stuck out like a sore thumb because I’d only met my daughter a few months before.

I felt isolated and alone and was desperate to talk to people who just got it.

That’s one of the reasons why I started the magazine. It’s a safe space for anyone who wants to share their experience of adoption.

The good and the bad.

Wish Adopters Club is the next step.

It’s a safe, online space where adopters can connect with others and chat, let off steam, and support each other, without feeling judged or alone.

It’s something I wish had been around when we brought both our girls home.

The Club will consist of monthly chat sessions via Zoom, and a monthly session with an expert covering a range of topics from parenting to wellbeing and self-care.

There’s a small monthly fee, which will help to cover the cost of running the platform. Having to pay to join will also help to make sure only those who want to connect with and support other adopters will join.

If you’re an adopter and would like to join, comment Club” and I’ll send you the details, or click on the link in my bio.

We Made a Wish

09/01/2026

07/01/2026

19/12/2025

15/12/2025

12/12/2025

02/12/2025

21/11/2025

17/11/2025

14/11/2025

10/11/2025

06/10/2025

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