Case Study 1  
Jack (7) and Jill (5)

Jack and Jill need to be placed together. They have been in their current foster home for three years and are well settled. They will need to maintain contact with their foster carers. They had a chaotic start in life being cared for by a number of different people when their Mum was in hospital. When their mother was well, she could be good fun and the children enjoyed her company. They have an older sister who lives independently but also spends a lot of time with their mum. Their sister is a very important person in Jack and Jill's lives and they will want to keep in touch with her.

They both have extra help in school and find it difficult to make friends preferring to seek out each other's company. Jack is fiercely protective of Jill and sees it as his responsibility to look out for her. Their chaotic early start and life experiences mean that their behaviour is not always appropriate and they need firm, consistent boundaries.

It is planned that there will be face to face contact with sister and letter box contact with the birth mother who is opposed to the idea of adoption and believes that the children should be returned to her care.

Case Study 2 
Emma (5), Claire (1), Ashley & James (2)

Emma is a bright and bouncy five year old girl who is living with her full sister, Claire aged 1. They have been living with the same foster family since Claire was born. Emma can at times be demanding of adult attention. Claire is a contented baby meeting all her developmental milestones.

Ashley & James are twin boys (aged 2) and are Emma and Claire's full brothers. They were both premature babies and Ashley spent several months in hospital when he was first born. Ashley still has some developmental delay of approximately six months especially with his mobility.

Emma and Claire would be placed together. Ashley & James need a separate family who can help Ashley with his special needs. It is not felt appropriate for all four children to be placed together but it is essential that there is face to face contact between the children six times a year. There is an annual exchange of information by letter / photograph with their birth parents.

Case Study 3  
Aaron (6) and Tariq (8)

Aaron and Tariq are half brothers aged 6 and 8 years who have lived together all of their lives. They are very close and are rewarding children to care for. They need a family who can reflect their mixed parentage; their father is African Caribbean and their mother is Filipino and white European.

Aaron is a delightful impish six year old boy who enjoys individual attention and loves playing jokes on people. He is popular at school, loves football and swimming, and is very talkative. Tariq is an energetic, lively, active eight year old who loves swimming and cars. He finds team games rather challenging because he finds sharing difficult. he needs boundaries and lots of individual attention. Tariq has mild learning difficulties and is responding well to extra individual help in the classroom. Due to his earlier experiences, Tariq can feel insecure and angry, but has responded well to individual therapeutic sessions.

Face to face contact with birth mother is planned to take place twice yearly, and letter box contact with birth parents and one grandmother at Christmas and Easter.