"It is the hardest thing I've ever done because it is such an emotionalroller-coaster," says Sarah as she cuddles the five-month-old girl sheknows she will soon be adopting.
Nearby, the baby's two older sisters, aged three and two, chatter awayhappily as they raid the kitchen cupboards for raisins under thewatchful eye of Sarah's husband, Tom. The older sisters have alreadybeen adopted after being fostered by Tom and Sarah during eight monthsof intensive multi-agency work undertaken with the girls' birth parents,including observation and assessment.
A new family member
Now their baby sister has also been adopted. Extraordinarily, she washanded over by her mum to Sarah when she was just two hours old. Bothwomen were in tears, but the fact they knew each other from months ofcontact visits meant the moment was conflict free.
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