1st June 2026

Sam* is a lively, cheerful 3-year-old boy who is described as easily loved and thrives on one-to-one attention, bringing lots of smiles to those around him. Everyone that has come in contact or had an interaction with him, agrees he easily warms your heart. He has a warm smile, engages positively with familiar people and benefits from nurturing and reassuring relationships.

Sam was born prematurely, has being diagnosed as having global developmental delay but this does not define Sam. Despite some early medical challenges, has continued to make encouraging developmental progress with the support of professionals and carers around him. Recent medical assessments, including an MRI scan, identified no obvious abnormalities, although there are some areas of underdevelopment within the brain which professionals believe are linked to his prematurity.

Sam is a smart and intelligent child. He enjoys playing with toys, exploring his surroundings, and is beginning to show development in his imagination through simple pretend play such as feeding a doll or brushing a doll’s hair. He enjoys trips out, especially to Tesco which is a particular favourite.

Sam communicates using gestures, facial expressions and eye contact. While he is not yet consistently using words, he shows an increasing understanding of routines and can make simple choices and will seek support from familiar adults when needed. He can become louder when excited or frustrated, which reflects his stage of development.

Sam has some developmental needs for which he is making progress with support from Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy. He enjoys cause-and-effect toys with sounds, colours and lights and benefits from encouragement and praise to help him engage in activities independently. With support, he enjoys tasks such as placing shapes into a shape sorter.

He has feeding and swallowing needs and requires thickened fluids and a soft diet to keep him safe. Sam enjoys food and is not fussy but needs close supervision at mealtimes, encouragement to eat slowly and ongoing support around feeding routines.

Sam also has chronic lung disease and can experience recurrent chest infections, meaning carers will need to remain attentive to his health needs and attend medical appointments as required.

Sam is currently sleeping well and settles independently, supported by being in close proximity to his carers overnight. His bedtime routine is established, with a bath followed by a bedtime story, which he enjoys. He is happy to go to bed at 7.30pm and responds well to gentle preparation for sleep, benefiting from a short transition period after his story before settling. At times, Sam seeks reassurance and comfort from carers, particularly following changes and transitions, and benefits from calm, responsive caregiving.

Since coming into care, Sam has shown encouraging progress in his development and ability to settle into routines. He is due to start Nursery in September 2026. He has settled extremely well at Mencap which he attends all week, appearing comfortable in his surroundings, where he enjoys interacting with adults and participating in games.

Sam would benefit from a nurturing, patient and committed home environment where carers can provide consistency, emotional security and individualised attention, support his ongoing development and celebrate the progress he continues to make. In return, Sam offers warmth, affection and resilience and the opportunity to help a little boy continue to grow in confidence, safety and happiness as he explores the world around him as a curious and bright three-year-old.

If you would like to find out more about Sam, please get in touch.

Call us on 0800 0720 137, complete an online enquiry form or email us with your contact details

 

*name changed and stock image used to protect child’s identity