RESIDENTS are being encouraged to adopt through Barnsley Council with more than 60 kids currently on the waiting list.
Launched in 2021, One Adoption South Yorkshire brought together the adoption services from Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield councils.
The agency is responsible for recruiting and assessing new adopters, finding families for children with a plan for adoption across the South Yorkshire region and providing comprehensive, ongoing support to families from a child’s placement into adulthood.
Currently, they have 63 children waiting for adoption.
Stephanie Evans, head of One Adoption South Yorkshire, said: “Adoption is incredibly challenging, but it is equally rewarding and fulfilling. We have a lot of adoptive families in South Yorkshire who can testify to this. I’d encourage South Yorkshire residents to attend one of our information sessions, online or in-person, to hear more from our local adoptive families and social workers, learn about their experiences and see if adoption is right for you.
“We welcome and encourage applications to adopt from people of all backgrounds.
“Your ethnicity, sexuality or religion are not a barrier to adoption.
“Since we launched in 2021, more than 50 people from the LGBTQ+ community have been approved to adopt or are currently going through the assessment process, for example.
“We aren’t looking for the perfect parents, but we are looking for people who are resilient and flexible and can commit to providing a child who may have faced a challenging start in life with a safe, permanent and loving home. You don’t just adopt a child you create a family for life.”
If you want to find out more information, there are a number of events taking place over the coming weeks with the next one taking place on Monday (February 27) from 11.30am to 1.30pm at Library @ the Lightbox.
