On 17^th August over thrity people attended the first open evening of the new Minority Families and Children Adoption Agency.

The Adoption Agency was set up to focus on the recruitment of Asian and dual heritage (Asian/white British) adoptive families to meet the needs of Asian and dual heritage children currently in the care of local authorities as those children have in the past waited  longer for suitable families to be found.

Adoptive families are needed for children of all ages from 0 to 16. Some children need to be placed alone but others need a family who can consider keeping 2 or 3 brothers and sisters together. Some children will have special needs such as medical conditions or delayed development. Some will have been affected by the alcohol or drug abuse of their parents, may have been exposed to neglect or abuse or have had many moves to cope with.

Anyone over the age of 21 can apply to adopt provided they have not committed offences against children or other serious offences. Applicants can be married, in a civil partnership, cohabiting or single and it is not necessary to be in full time work or to own your own home. What is essential is understanding, acceptance, patience and a sense of humour.

The process of becoming adopters was outlined at the meeting. Following the information evening individual visits are made to each family and those who wish to proceed are invited to a series of preparation and training sessions. Following this, a social worker will visit families and produce an assessment of their strengths and vulnerabilities and this written assessment will be considered by the Adoption Panel and a recommendation made as to suitability to adopt. If the agency agrees with the panel that the family is suitable then a child or children can be placed.  The whole process should take about 6 to 8 months and there are no fees for applicants to pay if the child being adopted is already in the care of the local authority.

Anyone unable to attend the meeting but who is interested in hearing more about adopting can contact the Adoption Manager on or visit www.mfcfoundation.com.