COTSWOLD Profile
Super Mum!
Most people find first-time parenthood challenging enough but to adopt five siblings ranging in age from seven-months to eight years is hard to imagine especially when all of them have additional special needs. But Sarah Naish is no ordinary woman as Sue Smith found out.
AS if that wasn’t enough she has also worked tirelessly in fostering and adoption over the past 30 years trying to improve the lives of disadvantaged children. IT is hardly surprising Sarah Naish has
been nominated for the Women in Business Awards this year. The question really is why has it taken
so long? With a firm handshake and a beaming
smile, Sarah guides me into one of the meeting rooms at Fostering Together in Stroud. “I can’t believe you really adopted five
siblings?” I say, much to her amusement. She has seen it all before. Anyone who
has had any number of children, knows the challenges involved in being a parent.
30 COTSWOLDESSENCE | March - 2014 But bringing up youngsters who haven’t
had the easiest start in life brings with it another set of unique problems. “To be honest if I had really stopped to
think about it more I probably would have thought twice,” says Sarah. “But do I regret it? Not a bit. Even
knowing what I know now I still would have gone ahead and done it.” Sarah’s early career as a nursery nurse
and her training as a children and families social worker confirmed her desire to have a family of her own. But when she had problems conceiving
she made the decision to adopt rather than go down the IVF route. “I knew there were plenty of children out there who needed love and security
and a stable home,” says Sarah. “My husband also worked in childrens’
homes so we decided to see if we could adopt two children. “I have always cared passionately about
trying to keep siblings together. “But there was no way I was expecting
to take on five.” Originally Sarah and her former
husband were offered three of the five siblings as the adoption service thought she would never cope with all of them. “We wanted to take them all but we
weren’t allowed so we took on three aged seven-months, two and three, all in nappies, all pre-verabal and all with attachment difficulties,” says Sarah. “Most children who come into foster
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