Published Wednesday 1 June 2016 at 17:00
Blackburn with Darwen Council’s adoption campaign, Let’s Adopt, has launched the region’s first ever book of adopted children’s stories
Adopted children and their families have shared their heartfelt stories as part of an ongoing campaign to encourage people to consider giving youngsters a ‘forever home’.
Led by Blackburn with Darwen Council’s adoption campaign, Let’s Adopt, the book – entitled Once Upon A Family – has been created to support adopted children and help potential adoptive parents understand the impact the process has on them. Comprising a mixture of poems, anecdotes and family tales, it will be officially launched on Wednesday 1 June at Blackburn Library.
Let’s Adopt was set up in January 2014, with its primary goal being to bust common myths around adoption and find loving homes for the area’s children, particularly those in sibling groups or over the age of four. The campaign was launched with Blackburn-born, former Coronation Street actress Wendi Peters, and has matched a total of 46 families since its inception.
Year six pupils at St Thomas CE Primary School have supported the project by providing a collection of illustrations that are included throughout the book. The head teacher, Carolyn Lord, said:
“The children really enjoyed drawing pictures of families from all walks of life and are thrilled that their artwork is being published in a book that will help other children find loving homes.”
Blackburn with Darwen Council will give copies to both adoptive families and those considering the process, while it will also act as a resource for social workers when meeting would-be parents.
Wendi Peters, who has continued to support Let’s Adopt throughout its campaign, said:
“Every single child deserves a loving home and a family that has their best interests at heart – that’s why I’m so passionate about supporting Let’s Adopt.
“This collection of stories will take you on a real rollercoaster of emotions, with lots of laughs and a few tears along the way. It’s fascinating to read how these children feel after they’ve joined their family, but it’s also interesting to hear a parent’s perspective on it all, too. I’m extremely proud that such a must-have tool has been created here in Blackburn.”
Among the book’s contributors is Mandy Worsley, who adopted James, 11, and Jessica, 9, as babies.
Mandy said:
“Adopting a child – or in our case, children – is one of the most rewarding things you can do. We always knew we wanted to be parents and we’ve been very open about our story since we first became a family.
“This book will be incredibly important for adopted children, in particular, as they should know that there are others who share a similar story – it’s essential that they never feel alone. Likewise, potential adopters can get a ‘heads up’ on what it’s like for the children themselves once they join their new family.”
Councillor Maureen Bateson, executive member for children’s services at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:
“Since the launch of Let’s Adopt, we’ve raised tremendous awareness of the need for adopters across Blackburn and Darwen, but there is still a lot of work to do.”
“There are still some myths surrounding the process and we want to make sure people know that we provide a high level of support throughout the whole process, from the very first chat to after a child is placed. We’re excited to hear people’s reactions to the book and are hoping it will go some way to providing much-needed, added support to families.”
