Journey to matching panel

Day 325

Things were really ramping up behind the scenes. Sprout’s social worker had returned from holiday, which meant process updates were flooding in and made it possible for Bill and June to be connected with Sprout’s foster carers. They received photographs, videos, and general updates — a small comfort that eased their impatience, if only slightly.

The Matching Panel was set for Day 347, and Bill and June were provisionally booked to meet Sprout in person for the first time on Day 345.

Before then, there were several tasks to complete. The child appreciation meeting would be a written report rather than a traditional meeting due to Sprout’s age — there were few professionals involved and little to cover. A medical consultation was scheduled, and they would also meet with Sprout’s social worker.

Bill and June began creating a playlist of songs for Sprout. Now that they knew more about them, they felt closer and wanted to share music that had personal meaning. They included songs they loved, songs with significance to them, and eventually songs that Sprout liked too.

This period was probably the most emotionally challenging yet. Knowing that a little one, destined to be theirs, was less than an hour away — and that they wouldn’t get to meet them for another three weeks — was tough. In hindsight, they realised how fortunate they were that things moved as quickly as they did, but in the moment, the wait felt agonising.

Day 333

Dates were now confirmed for everything up until matching panel.

• Day 334: Medical consultation - this is where Bill and June would get an overview of Sprouts medical history and their birth families medical history from a paedeatrician.
• Day 338: Meeting with Helen and Sprout's social worker (Amanda)
• Day 345: "Bump in" Their first meeting with Sprout.
• Day 346: Matching panel prep meeting with Helen.
• Day 347: Matching panel!

After matching panel, assuming all went well, they would be able to start planning transitions.

Being in constant with Sprout's social worker and foster carers also meant they were now getting regular updates on how they were doing.

Day 334

Bill and June met Amanda virtually for the medical review. The review didn’t reveal anything new but confirmed everything they had already read in the Child Permanence Record. They still found the experience valuable, appreciating the expert guidance and confirmation of their understanding.

Day 338

The meeting with Helen and Amanda almost felt like ticking a box. Amanda was another excellent social worker, and Bill and June felt an immediate connection. Everyone was ready and raring to go for panel and to get Sprout moving into their care.

Day 345

Another unforgettable day: the first meeting with Sprout. They met the foster carers with Amanda present. Amanda held Sprout first, and the little one cried. Panic ran through Bill and June — they wanted their first meeting to be a positive for them all. Thankfully, after the initial tears, Sprout cheered up and was full of smiles for both of them.

They left feeling absolutely full of love and, if possible, even more excited for Matching Panel and the start of the transitions process.