Published Tuesday 21 November 2017 at 12:20
A NEW “super” team is being launched to boost the search for forever families for children waiting for adoption – which for the first time are outstripping the number of registered adopters.
Adoption Now is a new regional adoption agency, which launched yesterday, bringing together Blackburn with Darwen, Bolton, Tameside, Oldham, Bury and Rochdale councils to share best practice, resources and expertise.
The merger of adoption services aims to ultimately improve the life chances of children by improving adopter recruitment, support and speeding-up matching while also reducing costs.
There are currently around 100 children waiting for adoption across the six local authority areas. For the first time in recent years there are more children waiting for adoption than registered adopters waiting to be matched with children.
Cllr Maureen Bateson, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Executive Member for Chidren’s Services, said:
Finding the families for children in our authority who are waiting for adoption remains a priority for us and through Adoption Now we will be better placed to find them the right matches at the right time.
Adoption Now is keen to hear from people of all backgrounds who are interested in adoption. In particular there is a shortage of people waiting to adopt children aged between 2 and 8, sibling groups and children with additional needs.
For further information see www.adoptionnow.org.uk or contact 01204 336096 for an informal chat.