Foot Anstey Left Holding The Baby
Over 30 members of staff at South West lawyers Foot Anstey, including members of the Management Board, will take home a ‘baby’ and compete in a parenting competition to raise money for National Adoption Week (6th -10th November) and Children in Need.
The virtual babies provided by the Exeter Primary Care Trust are programmed to cry at any time of the day or night. The only way to stop the crying is to put a key in its back and hold it there for up to 20 mins. It’s not possible to delegate this child care as the key is attached to the parent’s wrist. Meanwhile the virtual baby’s internal computer records its every move and how it is handled.
From Monday 6 – Friday 10 November every day six different members of staff will take home a baby. Their stint as adoptive mums and dads will start at 6pm and finish at 9am the following morning. To raise money for the charities staff at Foot Anstey are betting on who will be the best parent and register "the fewest incidences of abuse and the least amount of time crying".
The virtual babies have three different settings - easy, normal and cranky and to raise extra money, staff are also bribing the organisers so that the mum or dad takes home a cranky baby. Parents with the most votes will get the cranky babies, while those with the least will get the easy babies.
“We thought this would be a really fun way to support National Adoption Week," said Rachel Cook, solicitor "Our Family and Childcare team, one of the most experienced in the region, deals with adoption cases so it’s a cause that is close to our hearts. The solicitors who are taking part all have a varied knowledge of parenting so I’m sure it will be an eye opening experience for some of them!
“On a serious note 50 families were approved as adopters by Devon County Council last year and 9 of these were planning to adopt a child from overseas.
“42 local children looked after by the County Council were adopted during the year - this compares well with national figures.”
Published 30/10/2006
