Families who’ve made a world of difference to young lives by offering stable and loving homes recently met with the Welsh Government Minister for Children and Social Care.
Dawn Bowden MS dropped in to meet adoptive families at a ‘stay and play’ session in Flintshire, and to hear about their experiences and the many rewards (and challenges) that come with adopting a child.
The Minister also met with representatives of the North Wales Adoption Service, which promotes and supports adoption across the region.
‘Stay and play’ sessions are just one of the ways the service supports families who’ve recently adopted a child, and are designed to help people meet other adopters and build a support network.
The Minister was also introduced to older adopted children, who spoke about the importance of growing up in a caring and loving home.
Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden said: “It’s been great to meet adoptive families at the Stay and Play session and to hear how rewarding adoption is.
“In November, the National Adoption Service celebrated its 10-year anniversary. In that time, it has made a significant contribution to improving outcomes for adopters and children.
“I am proud of the work of the Service and thank adopters throughout Wales who make important decisions which are life-changing for children.”
The North Wales Adoption Service is managed by Wrexham Council on behalf of all six local authorities in North Wales (Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire, Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey).
Rhian Thomas, Wrexham Council’s interim chief officer for children’s social care, said: “There are so many children in need of safe, stable homes in North Wales, and our priority is to find them a family to love and care for them.
“Our adoptive families thoroughly enjoyed meeting with the Minister, and it was a good opportunity to talk about how we can encourage more people to consider adoption.
“Adopting a child is a life-changing decision packed full of rewarding moments…but it’s not without its challenges, and we’re here to support people through every step of their journey.”
To find out more about adoption, visit the North Wales Adoption Service website.
