Council supports media initiative to encourage adoption and fostering carers to come forward

The Highland Council is urging people in the north to change children’s lives and to consider adoption during National Adoption week (6th -12th November, 2006).

This call from the Council comes in support of a new CD-ROM aimed at potential adopters and foster carers across the north and north east of Scotland which is being launched today at the start of National Adoption Week.
 
The CD-ROM has been produced by local authorities in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee, Fife, Highland, Moray and Perth and Kinross, with the help of the British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF). The film, made by Heehaw productions Ltd, features the stories of three families with adopted groups of brothers and sisters talking frankly about the changes in their lives, with comments from the children about what it means to have a family and to be able to stay together with their brothers or sisters. 
 
The production is also designed to provide easy access to information, in the form of questions and answers, for families who want to know more about adoption and fostering.
 
Barbara Hudson, Director of BAAF Scotland, says: “Many children in care waiting for new loving families have brothers and sisters.  This is often the only bond they have left as they seek a new home. Sadly, sometimes they cannot stay together because of a shortage of carers who can look after more than one child. This film gives people easy access to information and will help them make informed choices. We hope it will encourage more people to think about adoption and fostering.”
 
Alison Gordon, Highland Council’s Senior Social Worker, who is the Council’s representative on the CD-ROM consortium, said: “The Highland Council along with other authorities in the North East have pooled resources so that children who are hard to place don’t have to wait for a family.
 
“All the authorities have difficulties finding homes for older children and children who have problems as well as brothers and sisters. All the families in the DVD have adopted the children featured in the DVD.”

Irene Bloomfield, Highland Council’s, Manager, Fostering & Adoption with Social Work Services said: “Adoption has changed in the last 20  years, there are very few babies, and those that there are can have health problems. We do place older children in Highland, but the older the child, the harder it is to find  carers. Many people think that adoption or long term fostering is just for childless couples. This isn’t the case.

“Highland offers very good support after placement, health social work and education work well together, and we have an independent consultation service for carers. Since 2002, 45 children have been matched with adopters and long term carers.

“At the moment we are looking for people who will adopt, or foster long term for children who cannot live with their own families and we particularly need homes for a toddler with physical disabilities; a baby with a hereditary medical condition; a primary school age boy with mild learning difficulties; family groups of three children so they can stay together; and younger teenagers.”

Copies of the CD rom, and advice about adoption and fostering, are available from Fostering and Adoption, The Highland Council, Social Work Services, Kinmylies Building, Leachkin Road, Inverness IV3 8NN tel: 01463 703431 or email: fostering@highland.gov.uk.
 
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Notes to editors:

Interview opportunity: - if you would like to interview a parent who has adopted into her family (based in Ross and Cromarty) please contact The Highland Council’s Public Relations Office for further details.
 
National Adoption Week is a UK-wide campaign that aims to help find permanent and loving homes for children waiting in care. There are up to 400 children needing adoption acorss Scotland every year.

Eight local authorities were involved in the making of the CD Rom. They are Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee, Fife, Highland, Moray and Perth and Kinross.

The British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) is the UK’s leading adoption and fostering charity.

For more information, please contact:

Alison Gordon, Senior Social Worker, The Highland Council, tel: 01349 861508.

BAAF press office on 020 7421 2632/3 or email daisy.oclee@baaf.org.uk For out of hours enquiries, call the press office mobile on 07767 444 589 or www.baaf.org.uk