Member Article

Could Adoption Be For You?

Newcastle City Council is holding an information evening for anyone who might be interested in adopting a child either now or in the future.

The event will take place this evening (Thursday 2nd July) at 7pm at Newcastle Civic Centre (Registrars Entrance) and is a private session covering every aspect of the adoption process, from assessment to life afterwards.

Attendees will get the chance to hear the personal experiences of parents who have been able to have or extend their own family thanks to the council’s adoption service.

Although Newcastle City Council is one of the most successful in the country in placing children with new families, parents are still sought for children from a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, sibling groups and children with complex needs.

The vast majority of children currently looking for loving homes are over four years of age.

One of the purposes of the event is to bust misperceptions of who can or can’t adopt.

Deborah Anderson, adoption lead for Newcastle City Council, said: “There are actually only a few groups of people who aren’t eligible to adopt.

“What we look for are adaptable, patient and emotionally robust individuals and couples who can provide a loving and stable home for children who are urgently in need of dedicated care from someone they can trust. Age is not generally a problem, nor does it matter if someone is single, gay or has a disability.

“We are hoping to see a good turnout at the event tonight”

Ends

Notes to Editors

There are lots of reasons why children can’t live with their birth families. This can be because their parents have an illness or personal problems which mean that they cannot care for their child. Or the child or young person may have been neglected or abused. Sometimes a child or young person may have a disability or complex needs that their family cannot cope with.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Gaynor Ellis .