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this exacting task. They usually receive the baby at ten days of age after his discharge from
hospital. They have frequent sleepless nights and when the baby is beginning to settle, he goes
to his new home. These foster mothers must be prepared to deal with the natural mother who may
be under severe emotional strain.They must also receive adopters in their homes and be prepared
to teach 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 her 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.
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