help on adoption and special guardianship

hi can anyone help us, we have been looking after a friends child under reg38 kinship care for over 12months now and the social workers have decided it would be detrimental for her to go back to her birth mother. They are asking us to consider either being special gaurdians or adopting her as these are the two options they are looking at placing her with a new family and they are asking us first to considor it as she has been with us for over 12 months now an she is 3. I know i am waffling on lol but what i am trying to get round to saying is what is the differance between the two, what happens to contact from the mother on both options she currently has 1 visit a week for an hour suppervised, what is the differance in the level of support offered by social services, if anyone has any informtion that could help us as we are unsure what option to go for and the social are asking us for an answer, a little help and advise would be a great help, many thanks dizzzymooxx

Hello dizzymoo and welcome.

I have limited knowledge about special guardianship but thought that one of the benefits for older children that they didn't have to feel like they were losing the birth family.
If you have any contact questions ask your social worker, tell her what contact you would be happy with and go from there.

There are different forms of conatact. Letter box contact where you would write to birth parents maybe once or twice a year then there's direct contact which I have seen as once or twice a year. I don't know if it increased for special guardianship orders.
What are they suggesting for you?
Hope someone else can help you.
Check out Adoption uk too there are a few kinship carers on there.

Good luck.
Honey.x

http://www.childrenslegalcentre.com/Legal+Advice/Child+law/Specialguardianship/Adoptionorspecialguardianship

you can download a leaflet here on special guardianship. I hope that helps.

hi thanks for that info it was very helpful, i think we are going to pin the social worker down with a list of questions we need answered on both the special guardianship an adoption and what help an asistance they will give us. as she is nerly 3 i would like her to grow up with more of a sence of belonging and security so i am leanin more towards the adoption process, its all so complicated lolxx

cant help you about special guardianship but good luck anyhow