We are a UK based group of parents who have adopted our children from the looked after system in the past 20+ years. All of our teenagers are incredible survivors who need specialist parenting which can be very hard going. Despite dealing with some heavy subjects, we like to meet socially and have a bit of relaxation with other parents who understand what we are facing. These pages are by way of an introduction to our group, our aims and an overview of what we do. We accept families with adopted children, teens and young people but our focus is supporting parents through the teenage years. Our group is a not for profit organisation committed to this community. We promote (and try) to follow therapeutic principles (in depth document HERE.)
Here is a brief (not exclusive) list of things POTATO group do.
Every year, we have a couple of days break from looking after our traumatised adopted young people.
In the team of POTATO we have some talented artists, caring compassionate and fun individuals. We have all lives life with traumatised adopted young people and all genuinely knowledge the score.
So, we have an Arts Day. There’s a meal out all together the night before and it’s a relaxed and supportive group.
This year we have been focusing on designing a ‘Self Care Island’.
Here are a selection of collages and paintings our POTATO creatives made!
If you would like to know more about being in a POTATO arts day and joining up because you have traumatised adoptees, please email parentingadoptedteens@gmail.com
This is an article written for professionals and adoptive parents to use to inform themselves about a way forwards. We think there are some problems within adoption that need addressing.
It is written by one of our members, based on many years of adoptive parenting. This individual has experience of birth parenting too, and so knows how very different the experiences of parenting are.
Have a look through the article and see if you agree with the questions posed. What would you say are the issues that need addressing within modern UK adoption?
Over in POTATO group we have a lot of families involved with social workers.
Even when the adoption order is through it’s very clear that families need support from professional people who can access relevant help for our traumatised young people and their families. Sadly, our experiences of services often fall short and at times catastrophically so for our family lives. Our traumatised adopted teens get very badly effected.
There’s a few total diamonds in the service, I’m a committee member of POTATO writing to you today and I can name a few. We would like to see the standards raised to excellent across the board helping post adoptive families.
Every now and again, we come across something that resonates so loudly with our collective experiences that we want to share it.
This is a piece published here with permission of the author (yes, we asked!)
Essential reading for anyone involved in post adoption, especially social workers.