Adoption Week: The children who wait

Ilse has been a foster carer for over a decade, and is a carer coordinator, part of the Fostering and Adoption services’s network of support throughout the county.

“I’ve adopted three times myself, with three children; and it’s been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done, my biggest achievement I would say.”

“And they’re all really happy” she adds, smiling. “All a bit crazy, but happy!”

Finding out more about adoption

If you’ve ever thought about adopting or fostering, Ilsa’s advice is to go to one of the regular open evenings; friendly, no-pressure events where everyone is welcomed, whether they’re actively looking to adopt, or just starting to explore whether it’s right for them.

“You’d be surprised how many people the Fostering and Adoption service needs, she says.”

Thanks to some wonderful Oxfordshire residents, the county council’s adoption team has been very successful in placing children recently. During April 2015 to March 2016 we placed more than 30 children, and so far this year we have placed more than 25 children.

Cllr Melinda Tilley, Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Families said:

“The impact of adoption on a child is often quite literally life changing. But there are also children who may miss out on adoption such as older children, those with disabilities and brothers and sisters. We are looking for adopters who are open to all our children, we want to hear from people who have the capacity to love, care and be there for a child.”

The children who wait

Brothers and sisters

We are looking for families who are open to adopting a sibling group. We recognise how important sibling relationships are and where possible, our aim is to place children together.

Children with special needs / disabilities

We are keen to find families for children with particular health and developmental needs. We gather as much information as possible about the child's history and their level of need both in the short and long-term, however we need adopters who are open to and able to manage future uncertainty. Although we may not always know what the child's future holds we do know that they need adopters that are dedicated and committed and who can provide the level of care, love and security that the children need. Adoptive families are not alone as specific support plans are put in place around the adopted child and their family.

Children aged over 5 years

Children over the age of 5 years often wait a long time for an adoptive family because most prospective adopters are keen to adopt children as young as possible. We are keen therefore to hear from families who have no children under the age of 10 years and who could be just the right parents for one of these children.

Children from a wide range of different backgrounds

We will always aim to place children in families where all their needs can be met, we take all things into consideration when matching children with their new family and we are therefore looking for adopters of all ethnicities and backgrounds which will help us to find the right family for the children we are placing.

We think that all our children deserve to find the right family at the right time.

Please do contact us if you are interested in adopting a child or children of any age. If you think you have the love, commitment, patience, and resilience to be a parent, and a willingness to learn and work with professionals, we want to hear from you. We have a committed and enthusiastic team who are actively recruiting adopters for children needing adoption who are aged 0–10 years.

We hope that during the campaign we get more people to be open to all the children that we are placing.

Come to an adoption event

An Adoption information event is taking place on Wednesday 19 October, 6.30 to 8pm, Nash Court, 4440 Nash Court, John Smith Drive, Oxford Business Park South, OX4 2RU or the public can contact 0800 7835724 or visit www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/adoption