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Post by murraynbec on Nov 14, 2013 14:40:05 GMT 10
Hi everyone I'm Bec and we have just been approved as prospective adoptive applicants in Perth. I'm 27 and my husband is 34. It has taken us 4 years from attending our first information session as we were initially rejected due to my weight (BMI over 35), but after losing a lot of weight and going through the grueling application process, we made it through!
We are approved for a local child or sibling group, and for normal and moderate care needs. Apparently there are 40 approved applicants in the local pool, but only 5 in the special needs pool of which we are one of them.
We are putting together our birth parents profile at the moment and hope to have it done this weekend. Then we just need to wait!
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Kay
Toddler
Mama through local adoption :)
Posts: 230
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Post by Kay on Nov 15, 2013 6:42:49 GMT 10
Hi Bec,
Welcome! We too were initially rejected due to BMI but it was overturned due to total incompetence by our first SW and discrimination.
We were recently placed with a special needs child and it is amazing.... It took us about 4 years too.
Good luck and I hope you and dh are not waiting too long
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Post by cat01 on Nov 23, 2013 15:54:58 GMT 10
Welcome Bec,
Congrats on getting your approval and your weight loss. That is very exciting. I only just learned of the BMI parameters so I have some work to do. Luckily I am still just waiting to attend the information sessions so hopefully I can get it off while I am waiting. Do you mind if I ask what the BMI cut off is for WA. I have heard it is 25 here in Vic which I am not sure I completely agree with but if that's what I've got to do, then I will.
Wishing you all the best. Keep us updated with your progress.
Cat
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Post by goggly on Nov 23, 2013 20:48:59 GMT 10
Is there a bmi cut off in Vic now? There certainly wasn't a couple of years ago. Interesting. 25 seems low, even China's through the international program is 30!
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Kay
Toddler
Mama through local adoption :)
Posts: 230
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Post by Kay on Nov 24, 2013 7:14:18 GMT 10
Cat, DH and I are both well over any BMI restrictions... We were told as long as health reports were ok, it was fine... Things may have changed though. In any case, any weight loss is always good for your health
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Post by goggly on Nov 24, 2013 9:41:29 GMT 10
We had the same experience Kay, it all comes down to the health report as let's face it, you can be really healthy and overweight despite what every newspaper article says! And it doesn't effect your parenting ability one jot. Having said that I have lost a significant amount of weight over the last couple of years and feel much better, I highly recommend it.
Murraynbec, good luck with allocation. Everyone tells you it could be years, and it could but to give a bit of hope, we were allocated our dd inside six weeks, so it can happen quickly as well!
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Post by cat01 on Nov 26, 2013 16:01:03 GMT 10
Hi all, I am not 100% certain on the BMI parameters, but have heard from someone else who recently attended an information session that the cut off is 25 in Victoria. She said that a lot of people just stood up and left. I am still waiting to hear when I can attend the information session but when I do I will report back and clarify.
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Post by goggly on Nov 26, 2013 20:09:22 GMT 10
Hi cat, I'd check that out pretty closely as it sounds pretty discriminatory and something that couldn't be enforced. You need to remember that the Adoption Act is an act of parliament and to enforce a a bmi would have meant a change to the legislation. If the agency i calling it a guideline then that is a different thing…
Either way it is wrong. A BMI or 25 means you can not be carrying an extra kilo, you are prefect weight for height. It has absolutely no correlation to your health!
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Post by lfplus1 on Dec 18, 2013 13:43:55 GMT 10
re Victoria - there are no BMI restrictions in Victoria, but it is still an issue. We were the same weight through the whole 18 months, our Social Worker gave us the green light, our Dr report said yes we needed to loose weight but that medically all of our results were fantastic (blood pressure, cholestrol, blood sugar etc) However at the Panel we were still given a 'deferred' and told to get healthier. They stressed (repeatedly) it wasn't about weight. I got pretty peeved with them and it look me a few weeks to get my butt into gear. But after a couple of weeks I thought you know what, I can do this, and prove them all wrong. In 18 weeks, I lost 15 kg. DH lost 9kg. We still arent under 25 BMI and interestingly enough, all our Dr had to do was weigh us ... and we were approved. So, I'm unsure ... there is clearly something, but nothing that anyone I have spoken to at DHS (including the head of the Adoption Panel) would confirm. Because yes, you are right, unless medically the Dr says its an issue it would be considered discrimination in Australia I think. Although, looking back, I am now going to be a more active healthy Mum one day So, glass half full I suppose. Although I'd never admit that to them!
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