“Freddie was a three-month-old baby when he came to us. He’d been taken into care at just seven weeks. His mother was in prison with drug misuse problems and his father had died.
“His troubled start meant there was a possibility Freddie could have been HIV-positive. We received a lot of support and useful information from Coram at this time, which helped manage our worries.
“When we adopted Freddie, the adjustment process was absolutely fine. We already had one child, and knew we’d be good parents for him. Our older son had always wanted a little brother or sister, and was delighted when he became a part of the family.
“As he gets older, Freddie’s curiosity is peaking about his family. It’s really important that he knows where he comes from.
“Luckily Coram helped us to arrange contact between Freddie and his birth mother, and enabled us to integrate this contact into our lives.
“Had we not fostered Freddie first, he may not have been adopted until much later, or not at all. We’re so glad there was only minimal disruption for our little boy.”
Case studies are real but names are changed and models used to protect confidentiality