Sam and Faith’s Story

Stories

Sam and his wife Faith adopted two brothers, two-year-old Noah, and five-year-old Liam. This is their adoption story…

Sam and Faith began their adoption journey with Adopt Birmingham after three unsuccessful cycles of IVF. After the first round of IVF failed, they both had adoption in the back of their minds as a way to start a family

Faith recalls: “We had spent years ready to start our family and after being set back from unsuccessful IVF treatments we took a few months to ourselves. We later revisited the conversation about adoption and started to enquire about adoption and how long the process takes – the more we spoke about adoption, the more excited we became!”

“I work as an Early Year’s Practitioner, and Sam is a teacher, so we both have experience with young children and decided adopting a slightly older child would be a better fit for our lifestyle and work – and we ended up with brothers!”

The most beautiful thing to witness has been the bond between them. Adopting them together was the right decision.
Sam

The Adoption Process

“We took our time in the beginning, asking lots of questions and having many conversations with our Enquiry Officer before starting the process.” Sam shares. “Stage One was really eye-opening. The training and workshops available to prospective adopters were amazing. We decided to take a couple of months break before starting Stage Two, just to make sure we took some time reflect on the training and were fully prepared for the next step.”

“Once we started Stage Two, time seemed to fly by, and our excitement grew. Our Social Worker brought up the idea of adopting siblings, which we were unsure about at first, but we quickly realised it would be perfect for us.”

Family of Four

Faith said: “We adopted two brothers, Liam and Noah. Liam is now seven, and Noah is five. Despite their difficult start, they are such resilient and loving boys. Liam has really come out of his shell. He loves dinosaurs and can name just about every species! He’s also quite the artist and enjoys drawing and painting. Noah, on the other hand, is our little ball of energy. He’s obsessed with cars and trucks and can spend hours zooming them around the house”

“It’s been a process for them to adjust to a new home, new faces and a new routine, but we’re seeing progress every day. Liam was quite reserved at first, but he’s started to open up and show his fun-loving personality. Noah had some developmental delays, but with the right support, he’s catching up quickly.”

Talking about the bond between the boys, Sam said: “One of the most beautiful things to witness has been the bond between them as brothers. They are incredibly close and always looking out for each other. Adopting them together was definitely the right decision as they are each others support.”

When asked what advice they would give for other prospective adopters, Faith shared: “If you are considering adoption, particularly older children or siblings, I would say go into it with an open heart and be prepared for a journey. These children have experienced trauma and loss, and they need patient, loving, and committed parents to help them heal and thrive.”

Sam said: “Absolutely, and don’t be afraid to lean on the support and resources available. Adopt Birmingham has been incredible, and connecting with other adoptive families has been a game-changer. It’s a unique journey, but it’s so rewarding.”