Blackburn with Darwen adoption drive hailed a success

The events, hosted by Blackburn with Darwen Council's adoption services throughout the year, offer potential adopters the chance to meet youngsters on the adoption register in a relaxed, informal setting.

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And the children, who are often those with complex needs or older in age, see it as a fun way to meet others in a similar situation.

Blackburn with Darwen’s 'Let’s Adopt' campaign, which launched earlier this year, has reported more than a third of the children attending activity days in the past year were successfully matched with a family, beating the national average of 26 per cent.

Coun Frank Connor, executive member for children’s services, said: “The events are incredibly positive experiences.

"We find they are an extremely effective way of finding homes for our harder to place children, those with complex learning needs or perhaps a physical disability.

"Similarly, some may find themselves thinking about adopting a child outside of the age range that they had originally considered.

“Adoptive parents often surprise themselves at how useful they find the days and the result is they may subsequently consider taking on children with additional needs.”

Since Let’s Adopt launched in January, 67 families have come forward to find out more about the adoption process.

The council held its last activity day on September 20, with 57 potential adopters turning out to meet the children.

Coun Connor said: "We make sure we give age-appropriate information to children about the events and we find that those who have a firmer grasp of what the events are about are often pleased that they are involved in the process of finding their ‘forever family’.

“We’re thrilled that we’ve recorded a higher success rate than the national average and look forward to matching more parents with children at our next event.”

Blackburn with Darwen’s next activity day will take place in February.