This National Adoption Week, PACT is sharing some of the small moments that have become big memories for some of our adoptive families.
Among the special memories that PACT families have shared are the first time their child called them “daddy”, the hobbies that extended family members have been able to share with the children and when the moment when they told their sons that they were going to have two more brothers.
Lorna Hunt, PACT’s Adoption Service Director said: “At PACT, we believe that every child deserves a loving family and a secure future. We are proud to create these lasting bonds through our adoption services.
“This year, we’re celebrating the heartwarming moments that adoptive families cherish forever – from the first embrace to shared milestones and everyday joys.”
PACT is urging people to consider becoming a parent through adoption as there are currently more children waiting for a family than people approved to adopt.
Latest data shows there has been a 22 per cent increase in the number of children with a plan for adoption not yet matched with an adoptive family in England in 2023-4, compared to the previous year, meaning there are 780 more children not yet placed with a family, than there are approved adopters waiting to be matched with a child.
With local authorities nationally seeing fewer potential adopters coming forward – believed to largely be a result of the cost-of-living crisis – this means that nearly half (47 per cent) of all children face delays of over 18 months to be placed with an adoptive family.
Anyone who would like to find out more about adopting with PACT can download a guide, attend one of our online information events or use our self-assessment tool to check if they are ready to become an adoptive parent.
As part of National Adoption Week (21-27 October) a wider campaign is being launched to increase understanding of modern adoption and show that ‘the journey to a family is not always a traditional one’.
A survey by UK adopter recruitment campaign You Can Adopt has found 68 per cent of people in South East England think that there’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ family.
The survey has also revealed that the vast majority of the public (87 per cent) feel it’s important to teach children that families come in all shapes and sizes, and that this promotes acceptance of children from non-traditional family units (50 per cent). However, (55 per cent) of the public surveyed were not taught this themselves when growing up.
The survey explored changing attitudes to family life, as National Adoption Week highlights the diversity of adoption journeys today, and the significant people who are there to navigate the path.
It was also revealed that 47 per cent say they have a ‘chosen family’, while only 41 per cent felt that ‘blood’ was an important factor in defining a family. The term ‘chosen family’ recognises relationships and support networks that exist in parallel to the immediate family and indicates changing perceptions over what defines a modern family unit. Meanwhile, 50 per cent of the public consider themselves to belong to a non-traditional family – such as blended, extended, adoptive, or single parent.
To mark the theme of ‘The Journey’ a new short film, set onboard a train, follows the stories of three adoptive families on their travels, reflecting on the ups, downs and detours of their lifelong journey.
Rachel, who features in the film alongside her two-year-old adopted daughter Winnie, father Daniel and social worker Becky, said: “You have an idea in your head of what family looks like, and for us it’s been different, but even more wonderful in different ways. For me, it’s really important that Winnie has a sense of herself and her identity – that she understands that not only do all families look different, but she has more than one family, and that’s OK.”