THE Western Trust is urgently appealing for new adoptive parents in Derry and beyond to come forward as the number of children who require forever homes with families continues to grow.
Across the Western Trust there are children of all ages who may never be able to live with their birth parents.
There is an ongoing shortage of adoptive parents where the child will live for the rest of their childhood in their ‘forever homes’.
The Western Trust is eager to invite a range of people in the community to the information sessions to consider offering a child a loving, nurturing home ‘to grow up in’.
Encouraging members of the public to attend the information events on 22 September 2017 Pat Armstrong, Western Trust Head of Adoption, Foster Care Services and Family Support said:
“Information events have been organised on Friday 22 September 2017 at 10.30am in the Tara Centre, Omagh and 11am in Strabane Enterprise Centre.
“We would encourage people to come along to find out more about becoming an adoptive parent.
“Many adoptive parents have found taking this first step the hardest and these sessions will provide people with general information about the process and children available for adoption.
“Adoption and Permanency Social Workers will be on hand to answer any individual questions people may have about adoption.”
He added: “The world of adoption is changing and for some children, temporary care is needed until it is possible for them to be returned to their families, however, there is a growing number of children unfortunately that are unable to live with their birth families.
“Adoption is a challenging but very rewarding route to becoming a parent.
“For children unable to return to their families, adoption provides them with a sense of belonging and a family for life.
“In addition to seeking a range of adoptive parents for children, the Trust is also looking to recruit concurrent carers as part of a regional project ‘Home on Time (HOT)’.
“This is an innovative concurrent care scheme which aims to speed up the process for young looked after children to either return home to their parents or to be adopted by their carers.
“This project has been running for a year and has proven very successful in achieving permanency for young children in a timely way.”
If you would like to find out more about adoption, please contact the Western Trust Adoption Team on:
Limavady, Derry and Strabane area: Roisin Lynch, Social Work Manager Adoption T: (028) 7131 4226 or email: [email protected]
Omagh and Fermanagh area: Anita Birney, Social Work Manager Adoption T: (028) 8283 5114 or email: [email protected]
Please visit the Regional Adoption and Fostering website on www.adoptionandfostering.hscni.net or telephone 0800 0720 137 for more information and support in considering adoption or fostering.
You can also download information packs, read profiles of children waiting for a home and read how adoption has made a lasting difference to young people.
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