Vale parents urge more people to consider adoption
Parents in Vale of Glamorgan who have built their families through adoption are encouraging others to consider providing a stable, safe adoptive home for a child in care in Wales.
This National Adoption Week (October 19 to 25), the National Adoption Service for Wales is asking more Welsh people to consider adoption when planning their families.
The service is celebrating the second year of its Now is a Good Time campaign, inspired by stories of the lifechanging moment parents took the decision to begin the adoption process.
Across Wales, initial enquiries to adopt increased by 10% over the last year – a positive change following several years of decline.
However, the need for adoptive families has also grown. The number of children waiting to be adopted increased by 11%, with 310 children currently waiting.
Vale, Valleys and Cardiff Adoption is the regional local authority collaborative for residents of the Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Sam adopted his two-year-old son ten years ago as a single dad. He was in a long-term relationship and always wanted a child but felt like he was waiting for the right moment.
When his relationship ended, Sam decided there would never be a right moment, so he pursued adoption as a single person.
“I wasn’t sure I would be accepted as a single, gay, adopter. I was nervous, it took a lot of courage to make that first phone call. There was no judgement at all, they made me feel really reassured.”
The first time he met his son, Sam described how the then two-year-old ran out of his foster carer’s house and shouted “daddy”. He said: “It felt so surreal, but it was the best experience.”
Sam, who is the director of nursing at Marie Curie, said he was worried he would find the experience lonely as a single adopter, but that wasn’t the case at all. He described how he received incredible support both during and after the adoption process – including meeting his best friend, a woman who was also going through the process as a single adopter.
Cllr Eddie Williams, Vale of Glamorgan Council Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health, said: “Every child deserves the opportunity to grow up in a safe, stable and loving home where they feel supported and can reach their full potential.
“National Adoption Week is an important opportunity to raise awareness of adoption and encourage more people to consider whether they could make a lasting difference to a child’s life. There is no single profile for an adoptive parent, and people from a wide range of backgrounds and circumstances can offer a child the care, security and love they need.
“We would encourage anyone who has considered adoption to take that first step and find out more about the support available throughout the process and beyond. By helping more children find their permanent families, we can give them the best possible foundations for the future”.
Eifion Burke, Director of National Adoption Service Wales, said: "National Adoption Week provides a great opportunity to share and celebrate the joy created for many families in Wales through adoption. As I begin my journey as Director, I want to take this opportunity to thank all those families who have opened their homes, and to encourage more to come forward.
“Adoption can bring unique challenges, but it is also an incredibly rewarding journey. We want people to know that no one adopts alone. A wide range of support is available to children and adoptive families across Wales, including therapeutic services, peer networks and community-based support, helping families to build strong, positive and lasting relationships.
“Adoption is one of the most powerful ways we can change a child's future. My vision is for Wales to continue leading the way in delivering high-quality adoption services, ensuring that every child, adoptive family and birth family has the support they need not only to overcome challenges, but to flourish and reach their full potential."
To find out more about adopting in the Vale of Glamorgan visit: www.adopt4vvc.org