Matching Panel – Final Judgement?

With the child’s social worker agreeing the match, we had gotten over a huge hurdle; the renowned light at the end of the tunnel was becoming more and more visible, but we weren’t quite there yet. We had still to negotiate our way through matching panel.

Like the adoption panel at the beginning of the year, we had to sit down in front of a jury of non-peers and once again be judged.

Judgement this time was not our worthiness as parents, but the worthiness of the match between us and the child in question. I would hate to call it a formality, but a great many people had put in an enormous amount of effort, to ensure that this final hurdle was cleared with room to spare.

However good the odds were stacked in our favour though, we had been knocked back enough times not to be complacent, so on this cold morning, we still felt the nerves.

My nerves however didn’t appear to kick in until the last minute.

As with our adoption panel, our social worker (and this time the child’s social worker) went in first, and once again, they spent a lot longer in there than we expected.

As the time ticked on, so my bladder got full, and the question of ‘should I go’ become more and more pertinent.

I know I should have gone beforehand, I can here this echoing around my own head still, but don’t you agree that your bladder fills up in double time when you are under pressure not to go?

The clock continued, and at the point where the decision to ‘go’ was about to make itself, we were invited into the panel.

The distraction of the panel was a welcome relief to feeling like I needed relief, so my wife and I listened carefully and answered the questions thoughtfully, I doubt we were in there more than ten minutes.

Our bit came to a quick conclusion and we were ushered outside to wait once again as the matching panel members came to their decision.

Well I couldn’t go now could I? I had to wait, and continue to cross my legs as the panel discussed our case, I didn’t want to miss the chair person coming back in to deliver the verdict.

As luck would have it, the decision was quick…

Hi, I am pleased to say that we are all unanimous about the match, congratulations

Phhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwww

Thanks,

I hastily replied

Excuse me, I need the toilet

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About the Author: Andrew McDougall

Andrew is an adoptive father, and stay at home dad. Having adopted his son in January 2013, he is a new adoptive parent, but well versed in the adoption process. He is a married, coffee drinker, Xbox addict, and a graduate of Marketing. Andrew McDougall is an alias he uses to protect the identity of his adopted son.