£10,000 worth of training and support is to be delivered to adoptive families in Scotland with the Aberdeen Charitable Foundation backing a project to help build resilience and support families in becoming more able to cope with challenges and issues they may face.
The funding for Adoption UK Scotland will help meet the changing needs of adoption. Children who are adopted today can present with social, emotional and behavioural needs as a result of their early experience. The funding will allow the service to offer workshops where adoptive parents can learn strategies and techniques to manage behaviour and challenges, and continued support to families nurturing vulnerable children while living with child-to-parent violence.
Today adopted children may suffer from any one or more of the following:
- Developmental trauma due to experience of trauma or abuse
- Attachment issues due to abuse or neglect, separation from initial caregiver and/or multiple caregivers (if more than one foster carer)
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder due to exposure to alcohol during pregnancy
- Neonatal Abstinence Disorder due to exposure to drugs during pregnancy
Fiona Aitken, director of Adoption UK Scotland said: “Research has shown that nearly a third of adoptive families are living with real difficulties and consider themselves to be in crisis. This leaves them at risk or breakdown or disruption which can be critical for a child who has already been the subject to the disruption of their birth family. Adoption is regarded as one of the most positive outcomes for a child who can no longer with their birth family, but it is not without its challenges for all involved. Supporting families is the best way to support their children to reach their potential and achieve better outcomes.”
“Adoption has changed over the last 30 years, and the needs of the children who go on to be adopted are very different than they were previously. We are delighted to receive support from Aberdeen Asset Management to help us develop and facilitate new training workshops for families in Scotland. We will also be able to provide more support services and family events as a result of their generosity. Funding like this makes a huge difference to our ability to support more families – our family events are a fantastic opportunity for families to come together and can build supportive networks with peers. Of a recent event one attendee told us: ‘It is the only real opportunity my daughter has to meet other adopted children. This is essential for her developing confidence and sense of identity’.”
Adoption UK Scotland estimates that it will be able to reach out to hundreds of parents/carers and children and young people through the project which will also fund support training workshops in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, family events to promote peer networking and staff and volunteer training.
Claire Drummond, head of charitable giving for Aberdeen Charitable Foundation, said: .”“It’s widely appreciated that adoptive parents are the best agents for change for their children but they require support to do this to the best of their ability. The Aberdeen Charitable Foundation is pleased to be able to support Adoption UK Scotland deliver this project for families in Aberdeen and Edinburgh areas, both cities where we operate from”
The Aberdeen Charitable Foundation was established in 2012 to formalise and develop the Group’s charitable giving globally. The Foundation seeks partnerships with smaller charities around the world, where funds can be seen to have a meaningful and measurable impact. It encourages its employees to use their time and skills to support its charitable projects. For more information visit
http://aboutus.aberdeen-asset.com/en/aboutus/responsible-business/aberdeen-charitable
Picture captions: Claire Drummond, head of charitable giving at Aberdeen Charitable Foundation
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
