Millie’s story

Millie was only a few months old when social workers begin seeking her adoptive family. Sadly, she was unable to be cared for by her birth family and they made the painful decision to let her go. She spent her early months in foster care, not yet knowing that her adoptive family were doing all they could to get ready for her arrival.

Millie’s adoptive mum, Rachel, shares their story:

“We always thought adoption and fostering were incredible things to do and were very inspired when we met people who cared for children. I felt that something was flickering inside me and when we moved to a new home with a spare room, it really began to niggle at me.

Around that time we started hearing about Home for Good and were challenged as we heard about children waiting. I was very keen to explore things further but my husband was initially hesitant – until he had a massive (and unexpected!) encounter with God, which really encouraged us to take our first steps. We talked it over with our birth daughters, Ella and Poppy, and explained that there were children who needed a family who will love and take care of them. They were quick to make the connection to ‘we are a nice family and we could do that for them’!

We contacted Home for Good and were connected PACT, one of their partner agencies. The assessment process was busy but didn’t feel too much and it went fairly straightforwardly, although I’ll admit to feeling quite overwhelmed when we were approved at panel – to think that they believed we had what it takes, that we were ‘good enough’. It was a bit of a ‘wow’ moment and so exciting.

Matching was so hard. Seeing so many profiles of children who needed a family and realising there were many who we couldn’t help, because they needed a home without other birth children or for another reason, was so heartbreaking. I think your heart goes out to every child and it is natural to want to reach out to all of them, but although we couldn’t do that, at least we could pray for each one whose photo we saw or whose story we read about, and commit them to God’s care.

Finding Millie was amazing. It absolutely blows me away that we were matched with a little one who God had his eye on right from the start. The very month that her life began, when she began being woven together in the secret place, was the month that we first contacted Home for Good. God knew she was on her way, and timed our readiness just perfectly.

It’s been amazing to experience and live through the settling period. We feel a huge sense of privilege that Millie is learning to trust us and build a secure base with us. We are astonished at how it’s happened at times, and feel a sense of awe and wonder about how trust and love can grow and put down roots. It’s very intense and all-consuming but it’s incredible that Millie now has a strong sense of self and a strong sense of connection and belonging with us.

The greatest joy is Millie’s happiness – her laughter, songs, chatter, affection, huge personality, and the joy that she brings every day – and the greatest joy of all joys is seeing the wonderful relationships she has with both of her sisters and the love and laughter they share. There is no sweeter sound than our three children all laughing together, or playing a game together, or singing a song in the back of the car at the top of their voices.

It has been far from easy. Especially in the early days, people would ask me what we needed and I just didn’t know because it was so hard and overwhelming. We are so grateful to our family and friends and everyone who’s stuck by us and are supporting us through it. It is still challenging of course, and we know it will continue to be as that’s the reality of adoption, but we wouldn’t change a thing!”

There are tens of thousands of children in care, and Home for Good exists to make sure each and every one of them is rooted for, cheered on and championed by families and communities who love them. Could you give a gift each month so that more children can find their home for good? Give here.

* Names have been changed and images are representative