Transitions and Introductions
Road to Adoption
Transitions and Introductions
Transition Planning Meetings
In cases where the Matching Panel agrees the match and the Agency Decision Maker has ratified this, the placing agency will arrange a transition planning meeting.
Transition planning meetings take place prior to the child being placed. In Inverclyde this meeting is chaired by Team Lead - Adoption & Permanence. At this meeting the plan for introducing the child to you and preparing the child to move to your home will be drawn up. It's a good idea to clear your diary, as you will need to be as flexible as possible. If the child's agency is a longer distance away, the agency may consider supporting you with hotel accommodation throughout the introductions.
We will ask you to prepare a 'welcome book' which is a child friendly book introducing yourself to your future son or daughter. Your supporting social worker will assist you with ideas on how to prepare this book and ensure it is appropriate to the child's age, needs and comprehension. Introductions are drawn up solely based on the needs of the child, their age and understanding. You first meet the child in the foster carer's home and get to know about the child through interaction with them and from hearing about their daily routines from the foster carer. The introductions for children involve daily visiting, and after a few days (including opportunities to take the child out) the visits switch to occurring in your home so that the child can get a sense of where they are moving to.