Preparation for adoption resource

On behalf of the Scottish Government Adoption UK in Scotland and AFA are creating a free adoption preparation resource for all prospective adopters in Scotland.

This will allow all potential adoptive parents to have access to the same quality and quantity of information from their agency, regardless of where they adopt. The ambition therefore is for all agencies to make use of this resource. 
 
In order to put together the best possible resource, we are asking for your help.  As someone who has been through the adoption preparation process you are best placed to tell us what worked and what didn't: we'd like to know what was missing, what was most useful and how we can improve on the resources available. 
 
Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions and shape future resources for adoptive parents.  Your input is vital, and much appreciated. 

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* 1. Which agency did you undertake your preparation process with?

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* 2. When did you go through your preparation process?

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* 3. How many days or sessions did you attend?

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* 4. Was the number of sessions you attended:

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* 5. What did you think was good about your preparation to adopt process?

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* 6. What did you think could have been improved in your preparation process?

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* 7. What resources or handouts were you given to take home?

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* 8. Which of these were most useful?

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* 9. Which of these topics were covered in your preparation materials? (Not covered at all, little information, covered well, too much information)

  How well were these covered?
The background of adoption
What is adoption?
The adoption journey - key stages
What preparation is for, and how it works
What you have to offer, your lifestyle and how it fits with adoption
Preparing for the home study
About children who are waiting for adoption
Attachment
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Children's development
Loss and Grief
Trauma, abuse and neglect
Resilience
Therapy
Stress
The adoption register, and how it works
Linking, matching and introductions
Preparing for caring for a child
Preparing for a child moving in
Life story work
The role of contact
Birth families
Talking about adoption
Managing behaviour and emotions
Supporting children in school
Where to get help and support

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* 10. Which of these topics were covered in your preparation materials?

  How well were these covered?
The background of adoption
What is adoption?
The adoption journey - key stages
What preparation is for, and how it works
What you have to offer, your lifestyle and how it fits with adoption
Preparing for the home study
About children who are waiting for adoption
Attachment
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Children's development
Loss and Grief
Trauma, abuse and neglect
Resilience
Therapy
Stress
The adoption register, and how it works
Linking, matching and introductions
Preparing for caring for a child
Preparing for a child moving in
Life story work
The role of contact
Birth families
Talking about adoption
Managing behaviour and emotions
Supporting children in school
Where to get help and support

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* 11. What was the most crucial element covered, in your opinion?

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* 12. What do you feel was missed in your preparation, if anything?

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* 13. Is there anything you feel could have been covered in more detail?

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* 14. Did you receive any take home materials or resources from your preparation group?

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* 15. What were they - and do you still use them?

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* 16. Other than those provided by your agency, what other resources did you use that were helpful, ? (please tell us the title, and where you got them)

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* 17. Did you find real life cases of adoption useful?  Why/Why not?

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* 18. Which of the following resources would best support the adoption preparation process

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* 19. If you wanted to research a topic, would you

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* 20. Please highlight any other areas you feel could have better prepared you for the reality of adoption

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* 21. Would you be happy to attend a focus group session to further discuss this topic, or to speak individually to our project developer?

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