SOMERSET County Council has joined Adopt South West, a partnership of adoption agencies made up of charities and local authorities from across the region.

These include Barnardo’s, Devon County Council, Families for Children, Plymouth City Council, Torbay, and now Somerset County Council.

The six are working together to highlight the plight of vulnerable children and help them find their adoptive families.

It comes as Adopt South West prepares to launch a TV advert, which includes scenes from Minehead.

Adopt South West advert.

Somerset County Council is specifically seeking people who want to embrace its rewarding Fostering to Adopt initiative.

Fostering to Adopt places a child with a family who have been approved as adopters and who are given approval temporarily as foster carers for a specific child.

This is a good option as the child will live with their likely adoptive family from a young age and be able to form attachments.

 

The entire Adopt South West partnership is prioritising its search for adopters for children aged 4-plus, siblings, disabled children, and children of black and minority ethnic heritage.

This is because these children can often find themselves waiting longest for their forever families than a baby or a toddler.

Cllr Frances Nicholson, Cabinet Member for Children and Families at Somerset County Council, said: “I am delighted to be able to announce Somerset’s membership of the regional Adopt South West partnership, which will benefit vulnerable children in our region.

“We have a long-standing relationship with our fellow South West adoption services and agencies, and this new partnership will bolster our ability to match children swiftly with their adoptive families.”