People urged to consider adoption to complete their families

Families in Staffordshire looking to complete their family are being encouraged to consider adoption, in a new regional campaign.

Together 4 Children is a partnership between local councils in the midlands, that helps find adoptive families for children in care.  The partnership brings together Staffordshire County Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Shropshire County Council and Telford and Wrekin Council.  The partners are supporting the first ever Midlands Adoption Week, which starts on Monday 12 February.

Organisers will use the week-long celebration to highlight the need for more adoptive parents for children from the region, with a series of promotional events and information evenings.

The campaign also hopes to break down some of the misconceptions about who can adopt.  This includes having to be married, own your home, have a job and be heterosexual; none of which are true.

Almost seven out of 10 children waiting for adoptive families in Staffordshire, are brothers and sisters in groups of two or more.  There is also an urgent need to find adoptive parents for children with disabilities and those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Mark Sutton, Cabinet Member responsible for Children's Services at Staffordshire County Council said: “This is a great campaign involving both council run and independent adoption services, all working side by side to help raise awareness of the need for more adopters.

“We know that in many cases, adoption is the best option for our children in care.  It can really transform the lives of those it touches and over the week we’ll be asking anyone who has ever thought about adoption to get in touch.

“We are currently looking for potential families for children of all ages, sibling groups, those with additional needs and children from minority backgrounds.  If you’re looking to start or complete your family, I would definitely encourage people to think about adoption.  You’ll find all you need to do at one of our information events.”

An on-line information event at 6pm on Monday 12 February will give people the chance to find out more about adoption.  A Drop-in event will also take place on 16 February from 10.15am to 12.15pm at Old Mill Coffee Shop in Bridgnorth.

People can register for the event on the Together 4 Children website.