Adoption appeal for the children who wait longer

Older children, those with disabilities and sibling groups are often among those having to wait the longest to be placed with a family, and the council wants to hear from people who could provide a loving home for these children.

An information event is taking place on Wednesday, 21 October – during National Adoption Week - for anyone interested in finding out more about adoption, and the Oxfordshire children currently waiting for a family.

Successful placements

The council’s adoption team has recently been very successful in finding adoptive families for children, placing 50 between April 2014 and March 2015, and a further 20 in the last six months.

There are currently 17 children waiting for adoption in Oxfordshire, some of whom have been waiting a long time and need families to come forward as soon as possible. Numbers can quickly change as some children are matched with families and new care orders are made for others.

Important issue

The council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families Melinda Tilley said: “We especially want to hear from people open to adopting older children and those with disabilities or developmental problems, as sadly, these are the children who tend to wait longer to find a forever home. 

“National Adoption Week puts the focus on this hugely important issue and gives us the opportunity to talk about the children that we are looking to place with families. We don’t want to see any child miss out on the chance of a loving family, so we are looking for adopters who are open to all our children."

Information event

Anyone interested in finding out more about becoming an adopter should come along to the council’s information event from 6.30pm to 8pm on Wednesday 21st October at County Hall, New Road, Oxford, OX1 1ND.

The council’s adoption recruitment team can be contacted on 0800 7835724 and further information is also available at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/adoption