National Drive Launches to Find Adopters

20th Jun, 2023

National drive launches to find adopters for children who wait the longest for a permanent home.

Today, all regional and voluntary adoption agencies across the country have come together to launch a new ‘You Can Adopt’ campaign highlighting the circle of support important to adopters. The campaign comes as new research reveals that over a third (39%) of parents found support from other parents invaluable when raising their child.

The new campaign aims to reach potential parents for children from certain groups that repeatedly wait longest to be adopted (approximately eight months longer*) and sees a series of new films released featuring real life stories from those who have adopted and fostered children, and others who have been adopted themselves. The films spotlight the various means of support available throughout the adoption journey from regional and voluntary adoption agencies, social care workers, charities, employers, friends, relatives, peers, and more.

As part of the campaign, You Can Adopt has united a number of organisations, including John Lewis and Family Fund, to show their support for adopters. A new podcast episode featuring Love Island winner and former children’s social worker Sanam Harrinanan in conversation with an adopter about their adoption journey also goes live today.

• Children over five wait 16 months longer to be adopted from care than children under five.
• Children with a disability wait nine months longer to be adopted from care than children without a disability.
• Children in sibling groups wait seven months longer to be adopted from care than single children.

Black and mixed heritage children wait two months longer than average to be adopted from care, with delays caused because there are not enough Black and mixed heritage adopters coming forward to adopt children from the same background. This is why, as part of the campaign, a specialised recruitment drive will run to encourage Black and mixed heritage people to consider adoption.

To help find parents for these children, the You Can Adopt campaign aims to encourage potential adopters by acknowledging that, while these groups of children will need additional support, the power of family and a permanent home can be transformational for these children, and a circle of support is available to help adopters on this journey.

If you’ve ever considered adopting and want to find out more about the children who wait the longest, find out more at youcanadopt.co.uk.