St Francis

The Portage visit went well on Thursday and our worker brought a lady who is a service co-ordinator with her. This lady makes sure we are getting all the support from professionals we need as well as the correct financial benefits. She will also help if we are having to fight for things or spending a lot of the time on the phone. Someone to sit on the phone for you. Sounds good to me!!

Following the visit Blessing is being referred to an Occupational Therapist who specialises in children with disabilities. Children are often referred to them when they have difficulties carrying out everyday tasks such as sitting in a chair or feeding themselves. It is practically based so they can help getting appropriate equipment to support the child.

Blessing still needs to use a high chair as she is still developing skills in eating with a spoon and is VERY messy! We have considered a complete body suit to cover her when she is eating!! She also still needs to be strapped in or she tries to do a runner! Unfortunately despite actually having quite a big high chair it is getting too small for her. The portage worker felt an Occupational Therapist might be able to help and advise.

The other issue is Blessing keeps trying to climb out of her car seat when we are moving! Our other children did this occasionally but in the matter of a 3 mile journey Blessing will often pulls her arms out 3 or 4 times!

We’ll have to see if the Occupational Therapist has any bright ideas!

On Thursday we also had a letter from the Local Authority that placed Blessing with us. With it was an Indirect Contact Agreement for us to sign. We have said we are happy to send letters yearly to the birth parents so they can know how Blessing is doing. However, the Local Authority hadn’t consulted us about what we wanted to do, how we would sign, what the Birth Parents are to be called or when we wanted to start the contact. They just sent the agreement and asked us to sign it and send it back with no discussion or negotiation offered. We’ve consulted our Social Worker at St Francis’ Children’s Society and hopefully we can get things sorted with her support. We need to do what’s best for Blessing in the long term.

This week ahead will be busy again I think! I’ve got a Widening Horizons meeting, Mum’s Group, Sports Day at the middle two’s school and Chewbacca is going on a school trip. We also have a big event next Sunday!…. Blessings Thanksgiving Service at our Church! We are so grateful to have her in our lives she is a wonderful child and we love her to pieces! We have lots of family and friends coming as well as the people at our church who we would call our Church Family. As one lady said to me today we had better make sure we have plenty of tissues!! I hope I manage to keep it together!