Adoption Partnership South East
A new regional adoption agency “Adoption Partnership South East” has launched with a focus on recruiting more new adopters across the South East.
Adoption Partnership South East has been formed in response to a Government mandate that all local authorities must join a regional adoption agency by 2020. It brings together knowledge and expertise from London Borough of Bexley, Kent County Council and Medway Council to help find loving parents and families for children with a wide range of profiles and needs waiting for their forever home.
The new partnership will provide prospective adopters across the South East region access to a larger number of children, helping to find the right match quickly.
Adoption arrangements include an early placement Foster to Adopt option which allows prospective adopters to foster a baby or toddler under the age of two until the courts have decided on their future care, reducing disruption for the child significantly.
Staff will remain employed within their local authority, operating within a robust governance structure under the Head of Service for Adoption Partnership South East.
Sarah Skinner, Head of Service for Adoption Partnership South East said: “I am thrilled that our new adoption partnership has launched in the South East bringing together the wealth of experience in the region. By working together, we can recruit a wide and diverse group of adopters and draw on resources across the region to enable us to quickly place more children with their forever families.”
The London Borough of Bexley’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Cllr Philip Read said; “We are extremely proud of our adoption services in Bexley and their fantastic track record and we are confident that the high standard will continue as part of ‘Adoption Partnership South East’. Working in partnership with KCC and Medway will set us on a path of joint cooperation that will benefit local children and potential adopters, reducing the timeliness of adoption journeys and improving efficiency and effectiveness. I welcome the launch of the partnership and look forward to welcoming many more potential adopters to our new South East family.”
To find out more about Adoption Partnership South East, or if you are thinking of adopting a child visit: www.adoptionpartnershipsoutheast.org.uk
