Case studies:
Finding a match for 2 siblings in Scotland Ian Burdett, Senior Practitioner in the Community Resources Team at East Lothian Council, explains how Adoption Link helped find a family in England when no options within Scotland were identified.
Finding a match early for 3 siblings Ana Parr, Adoption Performance Lead at the London Borough of Bromley, explains how Adoption Link helped reduce delay.
"I just wanted to send you a message to say how much my husband and I appreciate all the work you put in to making this amazing website. I did write a message a while ago but looking at my 2 little people sleeping so peacefully tonight made me need to thank you again for making my family happen. Being the kind of person who has not a jot of patience, Link Maker enabled me to get a little bit of control back and search at my own pace (think hare, not tortoise). I registered interest in my son & daughter and hit it off with their family finder. They'd been in foster care for 2 years all down to problems with "the system" and nothing to do with how utterly cute they were. I've no doubt that if I hadn't been able to search myself and weigh up all the info shown on the profile and left it to our SW, we would never have been matched as quickly as we were and may even still be waiting now."
Recently placed adopter
"Hi Link Maker, been meaning to send this for a while but rather exhausted and delighted since our little girl came to live with us 2 weeks ago. We were approved in May 2014 and like most users have experienced the ups and downs of unexplained instant rejections, long drawn out links and on holds, and closely missing out on potential links over the last year and a half. I think you guys deserve a knighthood for the service you have created at such a difficult and challenging time in the world of adoption. I think back to the first enquiry I ever made back in September last year for a child who seemed impossibly perfect for us to which we never received a response of any kind from her local authority and just how incredibly supportive your messages were at the time. I also applaud the quality of up to date info you provide about adoption which provides quick access to what we need to know and explains why what's happening is happening. To all of those still waiting, I know it's tough. Since being matched with our little girl, we've found out from her social worker that when she was first put on adoption register, over 150 enquiries were made about her and this has helped us understand why we often never got to find out why we were rejected in the past. THANK YOU Link Maker, and good luck to all prospective adopters."
Recently placed adopter
"I just wanted to say that I'm the social worker for the 3 children who were matched yesterday to their new mummy and daddy. I want to thank Adoption Link as this process has made family-finding so much easier and faster. We thought family finding for 3 would be a tough call but Adoption Link helped us identify lots of possible links and we identified our match after only about 5/6 weeks after the placement order then got the link matched at panel only 4 months after the PO was made which is incredible for a sibling group of 3! Now looking forward to supporting the new family through their introductions and first few months together. Thank you Adoption Link for helping to keep these children together when the odds are so low!!!"
Adoption social worker
"It was quick, easy and direct using your website which meant that we didn't have to rely on a social worker who admitted to 'hating family finding'! Finally, we felt in control - and we were able to be honest about what we couldn't and couldn't take on. Without your site I don't know where we would be now, as I was able to scan hundreds of profiles quickly and easily and find our Little Beans (Runner and Jumping). Thank you SO much - as one of your first users, I can honestly say, without you we wouldn't have the amazing family we have today - and so quickly, too!"
"We just wanted to say thank you after being matched with our son and daughter at Panel last week. We first saw them on a different site and enquired. We never heard back but then spotted them again on here after being linked with 4 other siblings groups. After their Family Finder got back straight away to us, everything has progressed brilliantly and introductions start next week. Thank you for providing such an easy to use, clear website. I have recommended you to all the prospective adopters from our course that we keep in touch with who aren't yet matched. A very happy 'customer'."
"It's been an amazing experience finding adopters through Adoption Link. I have worked as a family-finder for the last eight and a half years and I can say that Adoption Link has brought a 'whole new era' for family finding. Being adopter-led is the best thing that could happen to both the adopters and the children. We social workers are sometimes too busy to pursue all the links so being adopter-led is magical. Adoption Link generates a lot of positive energy, motivation and resources to find families for the children. Thanks a lot for the excellent service that you are offering. Well done Adoption Link for the creativity and bringing the whole adoption nation into one's hands!"
Adoption Social Worker
"...your website has been instrumental in helping us review profiles of children and accept that a compromise is required... This long winded message is to thank you and to emphasise the importance of the work that you do in providing a service to prospective adopters, SW and most importantly the children... My heartfelt thanks again to you and your team."
Prospective adopter
"Just to let you know we had a match agreed at panel for the 2 boys on Tuesday – the match was identified through your site. I'm so glad you made this possible. They have waited such a long time for this after seeing their sister be adopted."
Adoption Social Worker
"Just thought I would share the happy news that I took my 2nd AdoptionLink match to panel yesterday where there was a unanimous positive recommendation - the adopters are thrilled as are we as they are going to be magnificent mums to the two little children they are now matched with. Keep up the good work :)"
Adoption Social Worker
"The site remains by far the best and most successful resource we have had available in terms of potential matches."
Prospective Adopter
"Hi, just wanted to give some feedback. I have tried everything I can think of for the last 18 months to identify a family for two older brothers. After persuading my adoption agency to sign up to Adoption Link I have finally found the boys a lovely forever family! We've been to visit the family and they've met the foster carers - we're now progressing to panel. I find Adoption Link is an excellent website for finding families for children - especially children who I've struggled to identify families for elsewhere. I also find the Q&As really helpful for understanding prospective adopters' perspectives and taking a fresh look at family finding processes. I recommend your site to every adoption social worker I have come across! It's a really efficient, user friendly way of family finding."
Adoption Social Worker
"I am a great fan of this service and think it has a great potential to empower the adopters in their search for the right child. It gives them opportunities to take the lead and engage in the process. It makes the adoption and the children real, thereby opening new opportunities for the children. I have been hugely impressed by the service and support from the Adoption Link team - I wish you a long and successful future!"
Adoption Social Worker
"We found Adoption Link the most informative, pleasant and easy to use tool in our search for our family"
Prospective Adopter
"...thank you to the whole team there for being so responsive... the readiness with which you respond to suggestions is impressive and the enhancements made and in the pipeline are very encouraging."
Adoption Social Worker
"Hi there - just wanted to let you know the great news that I have just submitted panel papers for a match which got off the ground thanks to Adoption Link! ... I've also had a great response for a sibling pair I added last week and it looks like I'll be visiting one of the couples who have enquired about them - so another AdoptionLink match. Keep up the good work - really pleased we subscribed!"
Local Authority Adoption Social Worker
"Just to let you know we had a match at panel today with a child found through Adoption Link, we are over the moon and so looking forward to the future as a complete family. Thank you so much to you and your colleagues for all your hard work on your fantastic website, without it we wouldn't have found our son :)"
Prospective adopter
"My partner and I are incredibly grateful for adoption link. We have a less than efficient Social Worker who has no concept of time management so being able to take a little bit of control over our own destiny and feel like something is happening empowers us again."
Prospective adopter
"Just to say I am new to the matching process only having been approved in mid June, however I find that your site is a great concept and very well constructed. I am really struggling with how nothing within the adoption system is centralised, it is crazy, especially since I am prepared to travel countrywide to find my future family. Your site is the most progressive I have found at closing this gap. Thank you for doing what should be a central government job."
Prospective adopter
"I have been enormously impressed with Adoption Link. It has the potential radically to speed up adoption matching for all children, including those considered more difficult to place. Every adoption social worker should consider using it. And I'd urge all adopters to try it. Research on matching demonstrates the efficacy of matches when the adopters are allowed to initiate the process and that's exactly what Adoption Link facilitates."
Sir Martin Narey, Chair, Adoption Leadership Board
"Just wanted to let you know that we found a gorgeous little boy through Adoption Link, we have had a positive home visit and are visiting his foster carer for a life appreciation day next week. Panel is booked for the end of July. We are so grateful to Adoption Link as don't believe we would have found him without it and were feeling like this may never happen before we registered. We will let you know the outcome at panel but just want to say thank you for all your hard work and I hope you know how you are positively impacting lives like ours helping to complete families, you should be very proud :)"
Prospective adopter
Prospective adopter
"We have been linked with a little one we found on the website so we are thrilled that with the help of yourself and who ever made the site possible, we have found our future daughter and our dream has finally come true. Thank you!"
Prospective adopter
"So far, we are finding this a much more positive family finding experience. Matches seem to very quickly be put to bed as it were, where they are not appropriate and this is much better for us as a family looking for a match. If it is no, better to know sooner rather than later. We also like that your profile set up provides much clearer information than a standard profile. Clear disclosures against a number of categories have to be made which we find immensely helpful and allow us to make quicker decisions, which can only be beneficial to both sides. Thank you, still looking, always hopeful!"
Prospective adopter
"The 6 members of our consortium really value using Adoption Link for family-finding. It is user-friendly and easy to navigate, with great support. Most importantly we are finding links for nearly all children very quickly."
Peter Stevens, Manager, North London Adoption Consortium
"Thank you for taking the time to address some of the barriers regarding communication between parties which ultimately are a causative factor in the all too prevalent delays in family finding. I truly believe that adoption link will go a long way to aiding this process."
Prospective adopter
"Hello, just wanted to drop you a line to say how great my husband and I think your idea is and how fantastically user-friendly your site is. This seems like a real breakthrough in the sector and one that puts a little of the power back in the hands of the prospective adoptive parent at a time when there is little to do but wait for a social worker call."
Prospective adopter
"Hi there, I referred 3 children over the last 3 days and cannot believe how many views they have had. I have started to establish links and fingers crossed. This is a really super site, user friendly and its lovely to see profiles written by adopters with their photos. Thank you!"
Family-finding social worker
"A quick note to say thank you for providing a smarter, slicker alternative to CWW / BMP - we really hope more agencies will catch on and plan to show this to our social worker next week. Have found Adoption Link incredibly easy to use and we love the 2-way interaction, where our profile is available too. For the first time since embarking on this process, we feel like we're back in the driving seat..."
Prospective adopter
"I am so grateful for Adoption Link being set up. Searching for the right match after being approved at panel you feel like everything is left in the hands of the social workers. They do a great job but are so busy you are left feeling as if nothing is happening in the background. Joining Adoption Link has helped us to be more proactive in the search and feel a little more in control. Thank you."
Prospective adopter
"It does all of the things that others don't. No glitches, quick to navigate, excellent quality of pictures. I particularly like both content of info and the way it's presented. Well done and thanks it feels like the website we've been waiting for."
Prospective adopter
"...it was all very clear, easy to understand and quick. If only all adoption processes were this effective!"
Prospective adopter
"I found the website to be very clear and straightforward and I felt it asked the right information. I think this is a fantastic idea and will hopefully help to give everyone involved in the process the visibility of each other I feel seems to be missing at the moment, looking forward to using this tool in our search!"
Prospective adopter
