# Celebration day?



## Millie Moo (May 20, 2012)

We were granted our Adoption Order last week.  Our kids social worker rang in sick so didn't attend the hearing.  Neither did she or her manager update me as to what happened at Court. Anyhow, I rang the court myself to find the outcome.  They weren't particularly helpful and said I would hear about the celebration day soon.  Not heard anything yet and looking at the courts previous letter it says that they will arrange the celebration day with the social worker.

Does anyone know what the actual process is? if I had my way, the social worker would not be at the celebration day as I don't like her and she is very obstructive and unhelpful.  I am keen to get the paperwork as I want to apply for passports for the kids to go away during Xmas but it's looking less likely as more time goes by. Again, social worker refused to help us apply for them prior to adoption order.


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## Sun Flower (Jul 14, 2008)

Hi millie moo
Congrats on LO's adoption order being granted.
We had our celebration day last Friday, it was 5 weeks after adoption order granted. Our sw attended and they set date for celebration day right there, they called us to tell us. 
I don't think your SW has to attend celebration, but our LO's SW turned up on the day.

We didn't get any paperwork last week at the celebration day, they said we need to wait approx. 4 weeks for certificate to come through the post an d that's the short version, we then have to pay and apply for the full long version ( from my understanding that is. The Cert you need to apply for a passport, again it's a few weeks wait for that one too) so maybe up to 2 moths from celebration day before you can apply for a passport. That's just a very rough guesstimate.....
Good luck, hope you hear something soon x


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## beachgirl (Jun 7, 2007)

We had our celebration with just us, LO and grandparents. Told social workers they were not invited and court re-iterated this.


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## Wyxie (Apr 10, 2013)

You can arrange the hearing directly with the Court, and the SW doesn't have to attend.  We requested our daughter's didn't attend.  Our son's SW did actually initially arrange a date for the celebration hearing herself, but it wasn't convenient for us, something she wasn't particularly pleased to hear about, so I just called the Court myself and spoke to the Adoption Clerk, and arranged a convenient date, and then emailed the SW and asked her if she could come.  She couldn't, but it wasn't a problem at all.  Our SW went to both hearings, but again, there's no obligation for that.  You don't have to go to the celebration hearing, it has no legal impact at all and not having one would be fine, but it's nice for the adopters and the child, so you arrange what you want!


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## Millie Moo (May 20, 2012)

Thank you all.  I think I shall call the court again on Monday and try to arrange a date directly with them.  If I leave it up to the social worker, it might never happen as she never, ever, ever replies to her emails. Or phone messages...... She is apparently still working on the life story book (which initially she refused to do) so I suppose she may turn up at the celebration hearing to give us that........ Ha ha, who am I kidding?


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## gettina (Apr 24, 2009)

Re the passport point- you don't have to wait for the short certificate to be posted to you to crack on and order the long one. I was also in a hurry for a passport and after a few weeks I rang the court to chivvy and they could give me whatever info I needed to call the central registrar office (or called something like that I think) and get the long version, which can be sent using a next day service if you pay something like £20. The court just has to have registered the adoption for you to get what you need to order the long certificate - maybe your court will do this quite quickly so it could be worth calling soon after celebration day - which I hope you enjoy.
Gettina


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## Brummig (Jan 14, 2011)

We got our adoption order in August, but have only yesterday got notification on the celebration hearing - which is for 3rd Nov!  This is a total nightmare as we have an older son in school who is on half term until the day of the hearing so we cannot book an absence day with school!  It has taken so long for us to get here I am now back at work and this is a work day (first day back after half term!)  We wanted this be a happy day, and it feels a total stress!  I will contact the court in the morning and see if we can change it.

re passports - our daughter already has one, does anyone know if we have to change it, or can she continue to travel on it as long as tickets are booked in the same name?


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## Brummig (Jan 14, 2011)

Rang the court and feel like i've been told off!  Was told that the timeframe was exactly where it should be (adoption order granted 20th aug). I had caused major confusion trying to contact the court where the hearing will be a.nd must not contact them again.  Its nothing to do with us apparently.  Feel deflated.


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## Arnie (Aug 27, 2009)

As Wyxie has already said the celebration hearing has no impact on getting the paperwork.  Ours was initially arranged for when we were on holiday (only three weeks after the adoption order was granted Brummig) so I rang direct and re-arranged it (although we also cancelled this date!).  The short birth certificate was waiting for us when we got back from our holiday.  I've just ordered DD's long adoption/birth certificate and it arrived just a week later but you can fast-track it. DD travelled on her passport in her birth name even though the adoption order had just come through but our social worker gave us a letter to show customs if they queried the fact she had a different name to us ... which they did.
We still haven't had a celebration hearing and probably wont bother now.  We had a big family party for DD when one of my cousins was over from Australia and DH's family were all away for the re-arranged date and our social worker couldn't make it so it would have just been the three of us!


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## Brummig (Jan 14, 2011)

Just to update, we have now got a new date for the Celebration Day, on a date thats much better for us all and with time to arrange things - like school absence and work leave!


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