If you have been thinking of adopting you could be matched with a Cumbrian child in need of a new family by the end of 2024.
Cumbria Adoption, which works on behalf of Cumberland Council and Westmorland & Furness Council, explains all about their Adopt 2024 campaign.
Why has Cumbria Adoption launched Adopt 2024?
We constantly need more adopters – especially those who are open to adopting Cumbrian children in our priority groups, who wait much longer in care before they are matched with their new, forever family.
If you are open to adopting from our priority groups, you could be approved to adopt after six months and matched with a child soon after.
Who are your priority groups?
The children in care waiting longest for adoption in Cumbria and nationwide are brothers and sisters (who should stay together whenever possible), children aged three and over, and children with additional needs.
What are the rewards of adopting these children?
Ten of the 37 children adopted since April 2023 were adopted in a pair with their brother or sister, and a group of three brothers were also adopted together.
It’s so important that sisters and brothers stay together whenever possible, as it’s a lifelong bond, and they have shared the same experiences that have led to adoption.
Adopting children from aged three or four and over can be just as rewarding as adopting a younger child.
It can often be clearer what the child’s personality and individual needs are, and there are still many more special ‘firsts’ to share together as you give them the stable and loving future they need.
We always need more adopters who can care for a child with additional or complex needs.
The rewards can be tremendous and often the support you can give will help the child catch up developmentally and be a happy member of your family.
Does this mean it’s difficult to adopt a baby?
We understand why many prospective adopters first come to us wanting a young baby, but out of 37 Cumbrian children placed with adoptive families since April 2023, only five were babies under a year old.
The reality of adoption now is that the majority of children placed for adoption are older, usually only after all agencies involved have tried to support the birth parents to care for their children.
Since April 2023, 15 children placed for adoption were aged between one and two, eight were two to three years old, six were four to five years old, and three were six to seven years old.
Why are there relatively few babies being adopted?
TV series such as Long Lost Family feature adults who were voluntarily given up for adoption as babies decades ago, in very different times.
Voluntary adoption is rare nowadays. Adoption is usually approved by the court because the birth parents are unable to safely look after their child.
Sometimes there are very young children where adoption as early as possible in life is likely to be the best outcome.
There is a new programme called Early Permanence, which will be the main way these children will join their adoptive family. This is quite a different process to other adoptions, and is explained in more detail further below.
How long does the adoption process take?
It’s a myth that the process for adopting takes years.
If you enquire with Cumbria Adoption soon, and are approved to adopt after the six-month assessment and training process, you could be growing your family and transforming a child’s life this year in 2024 – if you are open to adopting children within our three priority groups.
If you have very specific wishes, it can take longer before the right match is found and approved.
Who can adopt?
Adopters are welcomed regardless of age, marital status, gender, sexuality, disability, or employment status.
Essentially it is about the ability to provide a safe, stable, and loving home to a child for the duration of their childhood and beyond. You need to be able to be flexible and able to adjust your life and expectations to the needs of the child or children.
The only automatic exclusions are if you are under 21, not a UK resident, or have a criminal conviction or caution for offences against children or for serious sexual offences.
We welcomes enquiries from all communities in Cumbria, and may also consider applicants from neighbouring parts of Lancashire, Dumfries & Galloway, Northumberland and North Yorkshire.
What support is available?
At Cumbria Adoption we will give you training and resources, connect you with other adopters who have had similar experiences, and we have a dedicated team providing ongoing post-adoption support to our children and adopters.
Tell us more about Early Permanence
In this process we try to find one ‘forever family’ from the start, so that the child doesn’t move between different types of carers at such an early stage in a life.
Early Permanence means the prospective adopters first care for the child as a foster family while the court decides the child’s future. It is likely that the adoption will be approved – but there is still always a chance the child could be returned to the birth family.
What does it take to be an Early Permanence carer?
We need Early Permanence adopters who are child-centred and can see all the rewards, while being resilient to the uncertainty it entails. The adopters will be able to meet the birth family during the fostering stage.
The good thing is, the adults manage the uncertainty so children can have stability.
We will be offering special support and training during 2024 for all those considering this route.
How can I find out more?
Go to cumbriaadoption.org.uk where you will find more information on the adoption process, the children who need adopting, Early Permanence and details of support we provide through the whole adoption process and beyond.
For next steps we recommend you book onto one of our online or one-to-one information events where you can ask questions and find out more about adopting with Cumbria Adoption.
You can also request a call back from our team, download our information pack, and, when you are ready, submit a formal enquiry to start the adoption application process.
