Children waiting to find families

North Yorkshire has children waiting to find a new family, and the County Council’s adoption team, Adoption North Yorkshire, wants to hear from anyone who is interested in adopting. In particular, there is a shortage of people coming forward to adopt older children, as they are often in sibling groups or have additional needs. That means that these children wait the longest to be adopted. There are two routes to adoption: the traditional route and our Early Permanent Placement scheme in which you first foster and then go on to adopt a child, often a baby, if this is what the court agrees. Adoption North Yorkshire is keen to talk to potential adopters and will decide on the most suitable route for each family. The County Council is supporting National Adoption Week, which will take place from 17 to 23 October. This year, the theme is #supportadoption – but some people are deterred from applying because they have misconceptions about the eligibility criteria. “Whatever your situation in life, if you are interested in adoption, North Yorkshire Adoption would love to hear from you – there is no such thing as a typical adopter,” said County Councillor Janet Sanderson, Executive Member for Children and Young People’s Services. “You may be single, gay, straight, or have grown up children who have left home – all that matters is that you can offer a young person security, love and a happy home environment.” It’s also important to stress that adopters will not be alone. “Adoption North Yorkshire offers on-going support during the adoption process, and when you have adopted,” said Judith Hay, the council’s Assistant Director for Children and Families. “Your social worker will be the first point of contact and the person who will be with you throughout the journey, supported by a team of expert staff.” the Carol Early adopted Placement Lucas Scheme. through “I was approached about Lucas’s placement three weeks before he was born,” she said. “Lucas then came to live with me when he was just one day old. Lucas’s placement with me has had its challenges; the biggest one being the knowledge that there was some possibility that Lucas could be placed back with his birth family. “While the court was deciding his final plan I held onto the knowledge that should this be the case, I had done everything possible to ensure that Lucas had the best start in life. I have now adopted Lucas and he has exceeded all of my hopes of being a mummy and being a family.” If you would like to know more about adoption, the adoption team can be contacted on 01609 534032, or email adoption@northyorks.gov.uk.