A new campaign has been launched to raise awareness of the urgent need for more adoptive families across the region.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Adoption Service’s, Every Day is Everything campaign aims to highlight that “every child deserves a permanent, loving family and every day spent waiting for that family matters”.
Amid falling adoption rates both locally and nationally, the council-run service is looking for people who have considered adoption in the past to consider whether it could be right for them now.
Applicants need to have “the ability to offer a child love, stability and a lifelong commitment” but do not need to have a “perfect home, perfect finances or all the answers.”
A waiting game
At the time of publication there were 35 children across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough waiting to be adopted, 14 of which are part of a sibling group. The council’s latest campaign also highlights that children waiting with brothers and sisters can wait longer to find the right family.
According to council figures, some the very youngest children placed for adoption had spent more than half their young lives, waiting for a permanent home.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Adoption Service is looking for people from all backgrounds and communities and from a wide range of ages and life experiences and said it can offer, “expert guidance throughout the adoption journey, from initial enquiry through to approval, matching and placement.”
Sense of belonging
Councillor Edna Murphy, Chair of Cambridgeshire County Council‘s Children and Young People’s Committee, said: “Every child deserves the security, love and sense of belonging that comes from having a permanent family.
Unfortunately, there are still too many children waiting for adoptive families, and every extra day they wait is a day without the stability they need.
“If you have ever thought about adoption, I would encourage you to take the first step and find out more. You could make a life-changing difference to a child.”
To find out more contact adoptionenquiries@cambridgeshire.gov.uk, call 0300 123 1093 or visit www.cpadoption.co.uk
