October 26, 2015 11.11 am This story is over 100 months old

New regional adoption agency to help children and families in Lincolnshire

Regional Adoption Agency: Lincolnshire will be at the forefront of a new Regional Adoption Agency for the East Midlands.

Lincolnshire will be at the forefront of a new Regional Adoption Agency, one of the first of its kind, involving local authorities in the East Midlands region.

The East Midlands is to receive funding of £100,000 from the Department of Education, to further strengthen ties with colleagues across the area.

The Adoption4 East Midlands programme aims to bring together the work of individual local authority and voluntary adoption agencies recruiting adopters, matching them with children and supporting them through to adulthood.

By working together at a regional level, the agency can expand the pool of potential adopters for difficult to place children.

Work is starting on a regional website which will mean adopters and children can be more quickly matched. Another benefit is that those local authorities involved will develop services jointly to better support children once adopted.

Councillor Mrs Patricia Bradwell, Executive Councillor for Children’s Services at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “This is good news for children waiting to be adopted in the county and it’s fitting the announcement comes during National Adoption Week with the ‘too old at four’ campaign highlighting the need for adopters for older children and sibling groups.

“The new approach should help find more loving families for children who need adoption, bringing adoption services together to share resources and support.

“Over the coming months we will be working with colleagues across the region to develop detailed plans to take this initiative forward.”