Celebrating families this World Adoption Day

At E.ON, we’re proud to champion equality, diversity and inclusion. We’re committed to supporting colleagues throughout their working and personal lives, and on this World Adoption Day, we’re recognising, sharing and celebrating the unique experiences adoption can bring.

To honour this day, we spoke with one of our inspiring colleagues who has generously shared their story of adoption. Through their experience, we hope to shed light on the love, resilience and community that adoption promotes.

When you chose to adopt, did you feel supported by E.ON?

Absolutely. I had a very supportive manager who enabled me to take time off for training and appointments and helped me manage my workload to relieve some of the burden. Because we had a trusting relationship, I could open up to them about my journey, what was happening and be honest when things were getting difficult.

Were there any E.ON resources that helped you along the way?

My adoption journey started in 2015. At that time, we didn’t have E.ON colleague networks or the enhanced polices we do now, which meant in some ways it was a more isolating experience. I’m happy to say that the company has come a long way since then.

I think the changes to polices and the networks are a great start to an improved experience. The support from E.ON is continual which is emphasised by its passion for inclusivity and diversity, as demonstrated by its commitments to colleague networks and enhancements of its polices - not only for fertility, but on other subjects such as neurodiversity, menopause and race.

For me, there’s still more to be done to remove any taboo or stigma associated to fertility treatment and adoption by making it more widely spoken about so that colleagues feel encouraged to ask for support, to speak up and to share their own journeys.

Why is support in the workplace so important when you’re in the process of adopting?

You spend the majority of your time at work, either in the office or at home, so it’s vital that the organisation supports its employees when starting, during and post adoption. This ensures colleagues can commit their time and energy to the process.

How do you feel colleagues can be supportive of adoptive families?

All of the colleagues that are aware of my adoption journey have been supportive, offering to help out with work or just asking about the process and how my daughter is – this can only happen when being open to sharing it.

My advice would be open, be supportive and let your colleague know that you are there to support them in what is a long, complex and extensive process.

What are some common questions or misconceptions about adoption that you encounter?

One - that the process is easy. There are rigorous checks, such as financial, medical and environmental to ensure suitability. There are numerous discussions to ensure you are emotionally capable of raising a child who hasn’t often had the best start in life.

And two - that once you’re approved you get a child. This isn’t the case as there are several approval points first to become adoptive parents. Then to you have to be matched to a child, which takes several months, and then approval. Finally, you then have to go to court to become their legal parents, which for us was almost two years.

Do you have any advice for others considering adoption, or for those supporting a family member or friend who is adopting?

If you’re considering adoption, do your research as applying to the local authority isn’t the only route. There may be charities in your area that might be a better fit. Ensure that you are fully aware of the journey as it can be long and complex not only to adopt but the post adoption journey such as maintaining contact with the birth family.

In what ways has the experience of adoption impacted your own personal growth or perspective on life?

Becoming a parent is the best feeling in the world, regardless of how you got there. For me, because it was a long emotional journey, it made it even more special. It changes how you perceive the world, what drives you and gives you a different purpose.

How did you feel when you first met your child? Is there a particular memory from that moment that you’d like to share?

Overwhelmed, excited, nervous, scared - lots of emotions all at the same time.

Our daughter has some additional needs, so our first meeting was in a hospital where she was having an appointment. The sheer wave of emotion when we first met her and the thought that we could one day be her parents was very overwhelming. Once we all agreed that we wanted to progress, we went to a matching panel for approval, similar to the first stage but specific to our daughter, where they focused on how we could support her with her additional needs.

Are there any changes you’d like to see in the way society understands or supports adoption?

Consideration that not all children are born to their parents but that doesn’t mean that they are not their parents. Plus, it’s important to teach children to be accepting of these differences.

The many paths to family

As we celebrate World Adoption Day, stories like our colleague’s offer insight into the diverse paths that can form a family. Their journey reflects E.ON’s values of support, inclusion, community.

We’re pleased to help raise awareness about adoption in the workplace and acknowledge and support our colleagues’ experiences.