'People have told me, 'we didn't get training to become parents' but they have no idea how different adoption is'

A MUM has spoken of her life-changing decision to start a family with her husband through adoption after facing unexplained infertility and a heartbreaking miscarriage during IVF treatment.

- By TESS RUSHIN

Sarah Spray, 48, and her husband Keith, from Kibworth, made the decision to adopt in 2008.

Sarah was inspired by her parents taking in children from Chernobyl when she was younger.

Her aunt and uncle and brother had also been foster parents which, she said, gave her experience of looked-after children and the system.

"But it’s not until the training and you start to learn about your child’s history that you really realise quite how different it can be", she said.

Training focuses on childhood trauma, to prepare families for the unique challenges they might face as adoptive parents.

“There are very few, if any, children who are adopted that haven't experienced some level of trauma. And when you consider that, three days of training doesn’t then sound a lot,” Sarah said.

The couple’s adoption journey began with their daughter.

“We first met our daughter when she was 18 months old and in temporary accommodation with her foster carer after they'd had to move out of their home after a flood,” Sarah said.

“Her foster carer opened the hotel room door and she just ran straight out, past us and down the corridor at full speed.”

Sarah and Keith knew they could offer their daughter the home she needed and couldn't wait to do so.

The pair went through checks and tests and attended adoption training, something all prospective adoptive parents must complete.

“People have said to me before, 'we didn’t get training to become parents' but they really have no idea how different it is to adopt a child,” Sarah said.

“For us the training process ran smoothly, we completed our introduction weeks and our daughter came home with us. We had a social worker while the adoption went through and then we were left to be a family.”