Search for new adopters and foster carers
Today (Monday 20 January) sees the launch of ‘Little Moments’, a new campaign by Birmingham City Council’s Adoption & Fostering Recruitment Team to help place the 177 children currently waiting to be adopted. Centred around the magic moments that children create - from a hug before bedtime to making mischief at tea time - the aim is to attract new adopters to help place children that are being looked after by Birmingham City Council.
Cllr Brigid Jones
In recent years, the UK has seen a decrease in the number of people enquiring into adoption and fostering. However, Birmingham City Council has achieved record levels of recruitment for fostering in both 2011/12 and 2012/13 financial years, following initiatives like ‘Time to Care’ and events like ‘Fostering Fiesta’. They have now launched ‘Little Moments’ with the hope of seeing similar success with adoption. With many people discourgaed by myths surrounding who is eligible to adopt, this campaign will help to educate people that may be interested in taking on a child, or children, from Birmingham. Anyone over the age of 21 may be eligible to adopt, and the service will consider single parents, unmarried and married couples, whether same sex or opposite sex. The Adoption & Fostering Recruitment Team looks for people of good health - although there is no age limit - that can provide a loving home for a child. However, people can be employed or unemployed and in rented or owned accommodation. Added to this, any religious background is accepted.
Councillor Brigid Jones, Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services at Birmingham City Council, said:
“The Adoption & Fostering Recruitment Team has welcomed great success in fostering over the past few years, signing up a record number of dedicated foster carers who are now providing children with a loving home and brighter future. We want to continue this success and ‘Little Moments’ helps us to show potential parents those magic moments that children create, whilst also educating people that far more people can apply than probably realise.
“We know that this can be a very daunting process but we want people to see just how much difference they can make to a child’s life, as well as their own. Our new website (adoptandfoster.co.uk) is the first port of call for people interested in adopting and fostering, and it provides them with information that’s easy to understand. There are also stories from people who have been through the process, to help provide advice and guidance. We’re keen to get this message out to potential parents across Birmingham and also within the 30 mile radius that we’re able to recruit from.”
Birmingham City Council’s Adoption & Fostering Recruitment Team boasts 12 years’ experience in placing children into new homes. They have seen an increase in the number of people coming through the service; in the year 2012/13 there were between 157 and 203 children in the system, and 63 children had been placed. Presently there are 177 children awaiting adoption, which include 36 sibling groups; made up of 32 groups of 2, 3 groups of 3 and 1 group of 4.
‘Little Moments’ will see a TV advertising campaign across ITV Central West from 20 January-2 February and 24 February-2 March, during high viewer shows like Loose Women, Emmerdale and Coronation Street. This comes in addition to a new website http://www.adoptandfoster.co.uk/home/ and outdoor advertising campaign.
Anyone interested in adopting or fostering should contact the Adoption & Fostering Recruitment Team on 0121 303 7575 or visit http://www.adoptandfoster.co.uk/home/
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