Adoption in Exeter
Families for Children give you a choice!
Has it ever crossed your mind that you might want to adopt a child as a way of creating your family? Have you ever felt that you could offer a child a permanent home? Have you ever thought about adding to your existing family by adopting a child who hasn’t got a permanent place to call their own? If the answers to these questions is “Yes” or “Yes…maybe” or even “Blimey…er…now you come to mention it...” - What is holding you back?
Whilst there are a large number of children waiting for adoption in Devon, especially sibling groups, local adoption charity Families for Children says that myths surrounding adoption, specifically around who can adopt, stops people coming forward. There is no such thing as an ‘ideal’ adoptive family. Instead, Families for Children are interested in what you can offer to a child and how you can best fulfil their individual needs. They welcome enquiries from potential adopters, regardless of marital status, disability, gender, religion, sexual orientation, income or whether you have parenting experience or not. They are looking for families from a wide variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds who can offer a permanent loving home and a secure environment to a child.
Follow Families for Children on social media:
The children they place are often vulnerable and have experienced extreme trauma in their early lives, in the form of both physical and emotional abuse. The children are of all ages, can be of dual heritage or be a group of brothers and sisters. Some children have severe disabilities.
As a specialist adoption agency, Families for Children understand the trauma and neglect that many children waiting to be adopted have suffered and the effects this can have on the child and the whole family, some of which can be unknown for many years. They want to let potential adopters know what makes a good adopter and discuss the skills they will need to parent an adopted child.
Families for Children is completely centred on the adoptive family from the start. Whilst they offer the same assessment as local authority agencies, which in the south west are now regionalising, they can offer bespoke support packages for the whole family should they need it. You can choose who takes you through the adoption process. Families for Children is the alternative to the local authority and they need adopters today.
Rosina, who has adopted twice through Families for Children says: “My advice to potential adopters would be that you are gold dust. Let the social workers guide you throughout the process, be prepared, and make sure that you have a supportive network. No one has had a perfect life. The hurdles you have been through in life and how you have survived them will help you deal with the baggage that adopted children sometimes bring.”
Local mum Joy, has adopted four children, all with complex needs, through Families for Children says: “Through no fault of their own these children wait far too long to be adopted. People get hooked up on their additional needs but when you tuck them up at night and all they want is a goodnight kiss you realise that actually every child deserves that. Making a positive change to their lives only changes yours for the positive.”
Families for Children are urging families in Devon not to wait. Please pick up the phone today and talk with us about starting the adoption process. For every day that goes by, children wait longer for families.
If you feel you could adopt and for more information about how you can adopt please call 01364 645480 or visit www.familiesforchildren.org.uk
This article has been written for Radio Exe by Families for Children, an independent charity that places children for adoption in Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
