2013 January 26

This week, Valerie has sent a free booklet, “A Guide to Attachment and How it can Affect Peoples’ Lives”, by John Timpson CBE, to all schools and libraries in Walsall South.

Valerie said:

“I have been campaigning on issues relating to adoption since I was elected in May 2010. In June 2011 I introduced my Adoption (Leave Pay and Allowances) Bill which contained provisions to equalise pay, leave and allowance arrangements for adoptive parents with those available to parents whose children are born to them. One of the main reasons I introduced the Bill was the importance of enabling adoptive parents to ensure that children are able to develop healthy attachments.”

“A Guide to Attachment takes the reader through what healthy attachment means and the effect attachment difficulties can have on a child’s development. The book was written by John Timpson CBE, Chairman of the Timpson’s Ltd shoe repair business.

Mr Timpson has extensive experience with fostering and adoption. He and his wife Alex were foster carers for 29 years and during this time they fostered over 80 children. Mr Timpson has also been Chair of the Governors at many schools and was a trustee of ChildLine until its merger with the NSPCC. Mr Timpson has kindly donated a number of copies of the book.”

“I decided to send the book to schools and libraries as it is an excellent source of information for children and families dealing with foster care and adoption. I am grateful to Mr Timpson for providing the books and I hope that they are helpful to my constituents.”