View report page

them how to handle a young baby. They must be able to give the baby good physical care and the
love and patience he needs without getting too attached to him, and they must be discreet.
The babies we have placed in our foster homes have all thrived and developed well, and
there is an urgent need to find more homes of this kind.
9. The Placement:
i) General
Views about "Matching" babies and adopters vary among individual adoption workers
and the old argument about nature and nurture continues. While intelligent parents are
more likely to have intelligent children, this is by no means certain, and little is still
known about hereditary factors in mental illness. It is the task of the adoption worker to
ascertain the applicants' expectation of an adopted child and also their degree of acceptance
and tolerance about his background. In the course of interviews with applicants,
some couples tend to accept too readily a difficult background in their anxiety to have
a child at all cost. Other applicants have given deep thought to the kind of child they
want.
The majority of adopters want a healthy baby and have special wishes as to his age,
sex and background. While this Service makes no special claim to "Match" adopters and
babies applicants are given the kind of child they ask for. This is another reason why
it is important to have a long waiting list of adopters to choose from when a baby becomes
available for adoption.
ii) Procedure:
When the Panel or a member of the senior staff in the Department has approved a proposed
placement and the child has had a medical examination, the Adoptions Officer
writes to the adopters informing them that a baby has become available giving some
details about the child and his mother.
Since the Department began to function as an Adoption Agency no baby has been placed
before the age of six weeks. This period gives the mother a breathing space to come to
her difficult decision and makes it possible to observe the physical development of the
child.
The adopters are told to contact the foster mother or Nursery where the baby is, to
arrange a visit.
When the child is in a Mother and Baby Home adopters visit him there, the staff ensuring
that mothers and adopters do not meet.
Where the mother has looked after the baby in her own home adopters are introduced to
the child in the office again. Elaborate arrangements are necessary to avoid a meeting
between the mother and applicants.
Adopters are always assured that if they cannot "Take" to a child this will not prejudice
their future chances of having another baby offered to them.
All adopters must give themselves two or three days before informing the Department
whether they wish to have the baby or not. When the baby is placed all Local Authorities
involved are informed and the adopters are given practical help with milk tokens,
medical cards, and such like. They are also given written instructions regarding all
further action required. The mother is also informed of the placement.
(88)