Jargon buster

Tummy mummy: an easy term instead of birth mother that young kids understand
Forever family: a child’s adoptive family are known as their forever family to acknowledge the permanent bond between them
Life story work: a story book with, where possible, photographs of each child’s journey from birth through foster care to their adoptive families so they understand where they have come from
Placement breakdown: when a foster placement is not working and the child is taken back into the system and placed in another foster home
Letter box: social services facility for children to swap letters with members of their birth families without disclosing addresses.

First printed in We Are Family magazine, issue 1, Spring 2013.

Details may have changed - please do not rely on this information solely when making decisions - do your own research, make your own checks and get legal or health advice as appropriate.

To buy a copy of issue 1 of We Are Family magazine go to our BACK ISSUES section