About the children

Jayden has been adopted, this was his story: 

Jayden experienced a lot of disruption in his first two years and had numerous primary caregivers, including his birth parents, an aunt, grandparents, and a short-term fostering placement. Jayden’s home environment was chaotic and his basic physical needs – for example having somewhere clean and safe to sleep, and having his nappy changed regularly – were not always met. Jayden’s birth mother had poor mental health, and it is likely she was not able to properly meet his emotional needs while he was in her care. Jayden was thought to have spent much of his early months strapped in his buggy or left sitting in his baby swing in front of the TV. Jayden’s birth mother has learning difficulties, and his birth father is Autistic and has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Jayden’s birth parents had a volatile relationship characterised by domestic abuse which Jayden would have witnessed.

Jayden made huge progress since living with his foster carers and met most of his milestones but had some delay in his speech and language development. He had a small number of single words. Jayden could become very frustrated when he was not able to communicate his needs, and he expressed this by throwing things or lashing out at his carers at times.  Jayden’s speech and language delay may be due to a lack of early stimulation, or an underlying learning difficulty, only with time will this be known. Due to his difficult attachment history Jayden was over familiar with strangers and he needed lots of adult attention to feel safe.

Jayden was a happy, energetic toddler who enjoyed nothing more than running around in the park, collecting sticks and jumping in puddles. Jayden had a close relationship with his foster carers and was an affectionate boy who loved giving cuddles. He had excellent general health and ate and slept well.

Jayden required a family who could manage the uncertainty around his future developmental needs, and who could support him to access any additional support services he may require as he grows up. He needed a parent(s) who could understand the impact his adverse experiences had on his development, and who can provide patient and nurturing parenting to help Jayden feel secure and safe.