# Family Finding - VA ONLY



## kimmieb (May 9, 2013)

Hi,

What sort of things happened during your family finding? 

Were you sent specific profiles or brochures (its the only way I can describe them...)

Did you have a lot of help?

Was your SW involved?

How long did you wait? Or how long have you been waiting?

We are getting very frustrated and I would just like to know...


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## Miny Moo (Jan 13, 2011)

We signed up for all the publications, our SW sent us profiles they received that she thought were suitable for us, we received our sons a week after approval. We did very much the same the 2nd time round though with a LA.


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## kimmieb (May 9, 2013)

Thanks - although I was hoping for the experiences with a VA.

My DH is currently looking at if we can change to a LA - although I'm not sure this is going to be the right thing...


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## Miny Moo (Jan 13, 2011)

Sorry 1st time we were with a VA. And I have answered your other post, with my take on changing agencies, but as I said it's just my take.


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## Barbados Girl (Jul 7, 2012)

We got weekly updates from our sw by email and she sent us any profiles she received. Are you looking for a harder to place child or a baby? If the latter who may have heard little as some ff do not update if they have nothing to update. Perhaps ask if you can hear regularly even if there is no news?


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## summer girl (Nov 27, 2009)

We got sent profiles on a really regular basis which you should do to, do you know if you've been placed on the national register as your SW will be getting lots of profiles for you through them?


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## littlepoppy86 (Feb 14, 2014)

Were va & got sent profiles via email. Saw 8 in 8 weeks until we got matched. Attend one exchange day, one activity day & signed upto be my parent x


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## AoC (Oct 28, 2008)

We were with a VA.  We were brought half a dozen or so profiles the week before we went to approval panel, and although we latched onto our Bug straight away, our SW also encouraged us to attend an exchange day to be sure.  We were looking for a boy of pre-school age, and our matching criteria were pretty wide.


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## kimmieb (May 9, 2013)

Thanks guys - we are on the national register - I think we got a profile from this yesterday which we both are really excited about...

The exchange days seem to be on a weekday and unfortunately due to work commitments we havent been able to go to the one today but we are going to an Activity Day in a couple of weeks - still waiting for confirmation letter on this though...

DH is going to speak to our SW today as we don't get profiles specifically for us (apart from the one last night) and we don't think that it's right ! 

Hopefully things are going to improve soon...


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## Daddyboo (Paul) (Dec 24, 2012)

What sort of things happened during your family finding?  
Not much.

Were you sent specific profiles or brochures (its the only way I can describe them...)
Only after we had found our LO at an Activity Day we were given specific profiles. Although we got brochures ourselves through Be My Parent.

Did you have a lot of help?
No

Was your SW involved?
No, she didn't even come to the Activity Day with us, we were glad actually.

How long did you wait? Or how long have you been waiting?
We waited 6 weeks before we went to an Activity Day - our SW hadn't seen us since Approval Panel, it was around 2 weeks later we were suddenly flooded with profiles from our SW to make sure we weren't jumping at the first child.

During that 6 weeks we had complained to our agency as we had expected contact to be made post approval but had heard nothing. 
We were assured that our SW was busy getting us on the National Register - but my DW rang the register and they said we weren't on it, our SW hadn't filled in the details correctly and then hadn't left any contact details so the register couldn't contact her!
We told our SW about the problem and then she assured us again that it was sorted, again my DW checked with the regsiter and again she hadn't fixed anything - our SW had lied to us!

We still have a very strained relationship, I believe she thinks its working well though, we are meant to have our SW come and se how we are getting on every 4 weeks but we haven't seen her since April!!!!!

It's important to note that our post approval SW was new to us, we only met her at our approval panel. Our pre-approval SW was amazing!


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## Miny Moo (Jan 13, 2011)

Think agencies must vary as both times we have adopted we have kept in touch with our SW's post placement via phone or email but they have only come out if we wanted them to or just before a review so that we could discuss what we wanted to bring up at the review, that's been with both a VA and a LA, placing SW have visited weekly for 1st 4 weeks, 4 Weekly till 2nd review, then 6 weekly there after until AO.


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## AoC (Oct 28, 2008)

It's not just agencies that vary - Paul and I had the same VA agency.  Our pre-approval SWer was also our SWer post-approval and during placement, and was extremely pro-active in family finding.  *shrug*  It comes down to personalities sometimes.


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

What AoC said... We also went through the same agency and had continuity of care and a very proactive social worker who emailed us 4 weeks after approval with our first profile, and then every day thereafter until we found our link (only 6 weeks post approval) She visited so we could brainstorm questions before linking and then came half an hour before linking meeting started to settle our nerves! She then called 2 days later to ensure we felt the same and pushed for numerous reports etc. She came to all the meetings and called every day of introductions. Post placement we saw her every month and then post adoption order she even came to visit to meet our new son. I actually emailed her a picture of the kids yesterday as she requested   I know I've gone off on a tangent but I wanted to big up our social worker and say it very much varies between agencies but also workers. AoC, maybe we had the same one?!


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## AoC (Oct 28, 2008)

She sounds awful similar, Lolly!    We had the same level of support you described, with the meeting before linking, checking back with us, calling every day of intros etc.  I miss her and am so sad she won't be our SWer again as she's moved roles (probably not yours, then?)


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

Yes she's moved into a more advisory role but within the same agency.... but if we were to go forward and adopt again she wouldn't be able to assess us and that would be very sad xxx


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## Daddyboo (Paul) (Dec 24, 2012)

Stop rubbing it in you two, we so wanted your SW and we were gutted when we got a newbie.
It was your SW who did our initial interview and answered our questions on the open evening - not jealous at all


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

Haha, sorry Paul!!   She even sent a card when little boy was born and got little pink a celebration day gift!! But seriously, it's sad not everyone can share such a positive experience   I can't imagine going through such a tough process without the support we got. Know we were very lucky!


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## AoC (Oct 28, 2008)

LOL!  We should start a fan club....


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## crazyspaniel (Sep 12, 2012)

Clone her


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## mafergal (Jul 31, 2013)

Hi,

What sort of things happened during your family finding?

*Our SW sent us profiles via email that were suitable. These were via the national register and also from 'brochures' of profiles that were sent out by LA's*

Were you sent specific profiles or brochures (its the only way I can describe them...)

*Yes, our SW only sent us suitable ones that matched our criteria*

Did you have a lot of help?

*Our SW always contacted us a day or two after sending us profiles to get our thoughts. She also contacted the SW for the profiles to get a bit more info as profiles are very sparse.*

Was your SW involved?

*As above, she would give her opinion. If we asked for more info/the cpr she would read it before sending it to us, highlight any concerns and give advice etc.*

How long did you wait? Or how long have you been waiting?

*We were shown profiles about a month before AP as we had to wait 2 months for AP. It was pure luck that the 2nd profile we saw is now sat next to me asleep. We were approved end of Apr this year but couldn't proceed as our LO didn't have a placement order so we continued to see other profiles. The PO was sorted in the beginning of June and our SW did all the chasing for us. MP, intros and placement was in Aug.
*

We are getting very frustrated and I would just like to know...

*Fingers crossed for your potential link  *


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