This week was one of those surreal parenting moments where two very different parts of my life came together.
On one hand, I’m just mom to two energetic twin boys, navigating nursery drop-off, snack requests, bedtime routines and the general joyful chaos that comes with raising toddlers.
On the other hand, I had the honour of introducing the Prime Minister at the national launch for the local elections.
As an adoptive parent, opportunities like this feel particularly meaningful. Adoption completely changed our lives, and so much of our day-to-day stability has been shaped by access to childcare, routine, and the ability to balance family life with work.
In this post, I wanted to share the full speech I gave, because it reflects not just the single moment, but the wider reality of raising adopted twins and building a stable family life.
Watch the Speech
Why this moment mattered
Routine has played a huge role in helping our boys feel safe and settled.
For adoptive children especially, predictability builds trust. Nursery has helped them develop confidence, friendships and independence, while also enabling me to continue developing my career as a data analyst.
One of the biggest practical considerations for any family but especially those with twins – is childcare affordability. When every cost is effectively doubled, decisions about returning to work become more complex.
Policies that improve access to childcare don’t just affect finances – they shape the opportunities families have to create stability.
Full Speech Transcript
Good morning everyone, I’m Sarah, I live in the West Midlands, and I’m a working mom.
Two years ago, my husband and I adopted some amazing twins – and it has completely changed our lives, in the best possible way.
Becoming parents almost overnight to two little people who suddenly rely on you for everything is incredible – but it’s also been a lot.
A lot of love, a lot of learning and definitely a lot of chaos along the way…
But seeing our boys grow in confidence, start to feel secure, and really begin to thrive has meant everything to us.
Routine has been a really important part of that.
For adoptive children, feeling safe, settled and knowing what comes next can make such a difference and nursery has played a huge role in helping them build that sense of stability and belonging.
They absolutely love going – they’re learning new things, making friends, and just enjoying being little kids.
Although I did get told recently that I’m not their best friend anymore…Nellie from nursery has taken that position! (Important twin update: And Ronni, Becky, Boss Laura, Louise and Ella)
We were already benefitting from the 15 hours free childcare through the Time for 2s scheme, and that support really helped give them a strong start.
And like many parents, once we had adjusted to live as a family of four, I really wanted to get back to work.
But when we looked at the cost of nursery full time for two children, it honestly felt quite daunting.
Childcare is one of the biggest costs families face – and with twins, everything is doubled.
I remember sitting down and thinking how are we going to make this work?
For a while, it felt like I might have to go back part-time instead of full time, simply because of the cost.
Then last September, the free childcare allowance for working parents increased from 15 hours to 30 hours and that genuinely made such a big difference for our family and so many others in our local area.
When I worked it out, it’s saving us around £400 a week.
That’s not a small amount – that’s a really significant cost back in our household budget at a time when everything is getting more expensive.
The cost of living has gone up in so many areas and when so many families are feeling the pressure of the cost of living, that level of supports really matters.
For us, that extra support didn’t just help a it – it completely changed the calculation. It meant I could return to work full time, instead of reducing my hours simply to cover childcare costs.
It meant more financial stability for our family and more security for the boys.
And it meant we could focus on building our future, rather than constantly worrying about whether the numbers added up each month.
As a mom – especially as an adoptive mom – being able to give them that consistency and sense of security means so much.
I’m genuinely very grateful for the support that has made that possible.
I love my job as a Data Analyst. Most of the time I’m still answering the question “why?” but every now and then I get asked “how?” and “what?” and “who?” as well, which does make a nice change.
And the support doesn’t stop there.
When the twins start school next year, we’ll also benefit from wraparound care and free breakfast clubs, some of which are already opening in our area now.
That will make a real difference to our mornings – helping us balance work and family life, and making sure the boys start their day settled and ready to learn.
These kinds of changes make a real, practical difference to families like mine.
I’ve seen real positive change in my life as a working mom.
Change that’s only possible because of the Labour government, led by Keir Starmer.
There’s a lot going on in the world right now – global pressures that affect the cost of living here at home.
But we are fortunate to have a government, and a Prime Minister, who is on our side focused on supporting working families and helping ease those pressues as much as possible.
There’s the change a Labour government makes.
So now, I’ve very proud to introduce our Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.
After introducing the Prime Minister, I quietly moved back to my place and listened as he spoke – taking a moment to reflect on how unexpected this entire experience felt.
Just two years ago, we were getting ready to go to approval panel for two little boys who we knew needed stability, reassurance and patience. Our world revolved around that date in May.
Following the speech, several members of the Cabinet came over to speak with me. They were incredibly kind about the speech itself, but what meant even more was how interested they were in our adoption journey. We talked about the realities of the process, the adjustments that come with becoming parents to twins, and the importance of support systems that help families create stability.
I was even offered the opportunity to meet with the Children’s Minister to talk more about adoption at a future date – something I would never have imagined when we first began our journey.
It was a reminder that our story matters.
Not because it is unusual, but because so many families are navigating similar paths – balancing work, childcare, finances, emotions and the desire to give their children the best possible start in life.
Support with childcare has played a practical role in helping us build that stability, allowing me to continue developing my career while knowing the boys are somewhere they feel safe, happy and secure.
And ultimately, everything comes back to them.
Every decision, every routine, every opportunity.
It is all about helping our boys grow in confidence and feel secure in their place in the world.
Because when people say adopting twins must be “double trouble”, we still believe it’s twice the fun.