Fiona has birth family contact

Fiona has always desparately wanted contact with her birth family and who could blame her.  She has regular contact with Rob, had one visit with Dee (other brother) and nothing else.  The reasons for this are so complicated.  Mostly they hinge on the fact that the birth family members who are capable of being in contact in a safe and appropriate way have not been consistant and reliable in the past.  The lack of constancy caused Fiona such mental health issues that those in charge of her care (not me!) decided that there would be no contact.  Period. 

That has recently been amended and a cousin was permitted to send a letter and a lot of pictures to her.  When Fiona called last night, she was over the moon with excitement and joy.  I am glad too.  I am in irregular contact with this same cousin (mostly via FB but occascionally by phone).  She is a good person.  I think the big problem is that she too has a very complicated life and not always perhaps the supports she needs (or needed then) and the ball got dropped.  Sadly, that "ball" was Fiona.  For a loooooong time I was really angry with the cousin. Because I could see the pain my daughter was in from her lack of contact. 

Then I found out, years later why the contact stopped and my heart went out to her.  I wish she had had the courage or thought to share what she was going through with the people who were in charge of Fiona's care.  I think (or is that hope?) that it would have made a difference in the decision to sever contact.

If contact is to be re-established I can't think of a better person to facilitate it than Jane and the team at the Great School in the City.