Pioneer approach to give children a home

BABY First Adoption . . . Amanda Forshaw, director of services at Caritas Care and Norman Goodwin, chief executive of Adoption Matters North-West

MORE children can experience the benefits of a stable family life and permanent homes thanks to a new Oldham approach combining fostering and adoption.

Leading adoption agencies Adoption Matters North-West and Caritas Care joined forces last year to launch Baby First Adoption. The search is now on to find more people to take part.

The process enables children aged up to two and in the care system to be cared for by people already approved as adopters and foster carers.

If the courts agree to adoption as the best option for the child, the existing carers continue to care for the child as adoptive parents, minimising disruption to the child and protecting attachments that have been made.

Since it was introduced nationally, 68 per cent of children adopted through the process have lower rates of emotional and behavioural difficulties and none of the adoptive placements has broken-down to date.

Mike Hall, who leads the service said: “Baby First puts the interests, long-term happiness and stability of children first at every stage.”

For further details about Baby First Adoption, visit www.baby firstadoption. org or call 0300 123 1050