Aurelio and Eddie are the people behind the popular Instagram account @fortunatedads, which they started in 2019 when they adopted their sons. Here Aurelio shares their adoptive journey, how they’re finding fatherhood and all the adventures that parenting has brought.
Why did you decide to adopt?
Being Dad and Daddy was always something that we wanted for our future and was something we always talked about. At the time, we had bought our first home together and felt it was the right time for us to make it into a family home.
Having friends and family who had also adopted and gone through the process meant that we had already heard and seen the love that it could bring. We both work in education and see first-hand how life chances can change a child’s life for the better. There are so many children in the system that are awaiting a forever family.
What was the adoption process like?
We went through the process with our local authority and the assessment part went fairly smoothly. We had a fantastic social worker who was so supportive and helpful throughout the process.
We attended the information evening and knew that this was the right path for us and our future family. Our assigned social worker was fantastic! She was approachable, relaxed and caring but also told us how it was.
When our approval panel day came, we were beyond excited to be starting the next phase of the journey to find our children. It is a really anxious time, not because you haven’t completed all your reading, training and workshops. It’s an anxious time because when you get to the panel, you know and realise that you’re not far away from being a family.
Our adoption training, provided by Barnardo’s was excellent. The training spanned over five days and was aimed to give us more of an insight into adoption.
The facilitator was an adoptive parent and made everyone feel at ease with asking questions about the process throughout the five days. He was very open, talked about his own experiences, and linked it to the training. They really made the experience enjoyable and knowledgeable. The whole process took around nine months and was the best thing we ever did!
What was the process of being matched with siblings?
From the very start, we have always wanted siblings. When we saw the boys’ profiles, we knew it was a perfect match, and that it would keep the siblings together.
Working alongside our social worker, we were approved to take two children. I remember the phone call to Aurelio when we first saw the boys’ profiles. We both said at the same time ‘these are the boys for us’. This was the moment we knew that we were taking the next step to having our family complete.
We never looked at another profile, we added our interest and before long we had been matched! It moves quickly, even with a light delay due to Christmas before introductions, we had found our boys!
You're supporting the Big Toddle this year, what have you been up to in the run up?
This will be our first Big Toddle and it will allow us to support the outstanding work that Barnardo’s do for the adoption community.
We recently went on a family holiday and thought it would be a great idea to take the boys on lots of toddles whilst away. The boys loved dressing up and exploring the outdoors. We took them on lots of adventures and pretended to be lions. ROAR!
You set up your Instagram, Twitter and YouTube channels- what do you share on your platforms?
@fortunatedads allows us to document everything we do as a family and to act as a photo album for the boys as they grow up. As an adopted child, and as a parent, some of the hardest questions are asked at school. Simple, everyday activities and tasks, such as bring your baby photo to school, or, bring a picture of when you were born, can be traumatic. It is not unfair to say that many adopted children won’t have these kind of pictures or memories.
The account allows us to make sure they have a point of reference. We also want to share our experience with the wider community.
Since starting our Instagram page, we have discovered so many amazing parents that have helped us on the way. The adoption community has been a stable rock of support that we did not expect, especially during lockdown.
Now, all we want to do is to give back to the community, by sharing our experience.
Adoption with Barnardo’s
There is no such thing as a typical adopter. We are all different and so are the children waiting to be adopted. Barnardo’s has supported the LGBT+ community for decades, and we proudly believe that any loving person who can offer a safe, stable and caring home can make a wonderful adoptive parent to a child in need.