Free books for Black families considering adoption
Adopt London are giving away Patricia Dopemu’s book – Help! I’m Adopting a Child to any Black African, Caribbean or mixed heritage family considering parenting a child via adoption.
Have you ever been frustrated that the books you read are unrelated and don’t depict Black people that look and live like you? Maybe you can’t relate to them or don’t feel like you can learn lessons from those stories. Do you want to connect to the people in adoption that might have some insight into your lived experience and may be more relatable?
At Adopt London we understand that books can transmit values and it is important to read the lived experiences of Black families that you can relate to and see yourselves in. That is why Adopt London is giving away 15 books by author Patricia Dopemu – Help! I’m Adopting a Child.
If you have more to give and there is love and space in your life to care for and raise a child, then this book will help you to understand the complexity of modern adoption and the impact it has on hundreds of children across London.
Patricia’s book is honest, informative and encouraging, and she decided to write her story so that she could tell other families – like hers – that adoption isn’t something to be fearful of, but instead, to be embraced.
“I wanted to give families the same information and reassurances that I wanted to know as a Black Christian woman.”
At one time or another, many of us will have thought about adopting a child, especially as we know some children can wait longer for a new parent. For author Patricia Dopemu and her family, adoption was a lifelong calling. Patricia’s message is that adoption, when you are informed with the right information, is an option many of us can take up.
‘My husband and I always wanted to adopt. After having our birth daughter and then a son – he was ten years old when we made the decision to find out more. We had busy jobs, a lively home, a good Christian community of friends and family – a blessed life. I just knew I had more to give.
We attended an information session and it was then I started to understand – adoption wasn’t just about children being orphaned or that the children had no-one, instead I discovered the complexity of events leading up to adoption and it just spurred me on.
I realise many people worry about whether they can adopt – maybe because of a negative past relationship, a wrong life choice, a family secret – all expecting that this one thing meant we weren’t ‘good enough’ to adopt. But it is the complete opposite. Experience is the best teacher. It shows that we have moved on and learnt from those issues, and it has made us stronger. Social workers were looking for information that showed my family had the potential to become an extraordinary family, and be given the responsibility of raising a child needing adoption.
After initial discussions with the adoption recruitment team, they invited us to a preparation group session. It opened my eyes and explained the UK adoption process. All of these children who needed adoption had a previously life that they could not go back to, because they have birth parents and possibly an extended family who could not keep the child safe from harm.
The assessment process was challenging, but it opened up the most insightful and beautiful conversations. It was a hard thing to do, but helped me understand my own life.
I wanted to write my book to share the message that adoption has many elements to it – some amazing and some thought-provoking, all for good reason. I wanted to normalise adoption. With knowledge and the right information, it’s an option many of us can take up.
Our home is just like any other family home; balancing work and family life; homework, dinner, family movie! My boys bicker – what siblings don’t? But they love each other and together we are family.”
We have 15 copies of Patricia’s book Help! I’m Adopting a Child available to give away to any Black African, Caribbean or mixed heritage family considering parenting a child via adoption, if you would like to claim your FREE copy please email [email protected]