EDITORIAL � 01303 817100 www.kentnews.co.uk for all the news and sport WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 15, 2009 news I 9
A LEADING children's charity is urging people in Kent to consider
adopting siblings as the number of youngsters in care soars to more
than 60,000 nationwide, writes Marijke Cox.
Adoption experts at Action for Children said too many vulnerable brothers and sisters are
being split up in the county as adopters opt to take just one child.
Carol Buckley, service manager at the charity's south east project, said there is now more
than ever a desperate need to find loving homes and for vulnerable siblings to stay together.
Her message comes as National Adoption Week draws to a close and the nationwide figure
of children in care reaches 60,900.
Adoption in Kent
� On average 100 children are adopted
in Kent each year.
� In 2008, KCC placed 90 per cent of
children with a plan for adoption within
12 months of the placement order being
given by the court.
� In Kent, 1,350 children who have been
adopted since 1992, a third of these
receive an ongoing service from KCC's
adoption support and special guardian-
ship team.
� There are more than 800 contact
arrangements with birth parents and
their children who have been placed for
adoption. KCC promotes working in
partnership with birth parents and new
adoptive families to encourage contact.
� On average, 60 new adopters are
assessed and approved each year.
Assessment takes eight months and is
extremely rigorous. Prospective
adopters need to have demonstrated
they have dealt with their own life issues
before they can be considered.
FACT FILE
Ali said keeping the boys together was very
important: "We found out they were originally
going to be split up so they would be adopted
immediately," she said.
"It was so much better for them to stay
together. One of the boys was slightly
chaotic when he came to us and splitting
them up would have made it worse.
They still have memories of their moth-
er which they talk about and they really
need that."
Heart FM DJ Toby Anstis, can relate
to Ali's story having been adopted with his twin
sister as a child."I can't imagine life without my
sister Kate," he said. "We've had such a close
bond since birth. Fortunately we were kept
together when we were adopted. It's a special
bond and understanding that has helped us
come to terms with being adopted. It's so impor-
tant that siblings are kept together."
Cllr Sarah Hohler, Kent County
Council's cabinet member for children,
families and education, said the team at
KCC are on hand to talk people through
the process of adoption.
"It is difficult to put into words the dif-
ference adoptive parents can make to
the lives of children and young people,"
she said. "Similarly, those who adopt find hav-
ing a family to be an enriching experience."
Call the KCC adoption team on 0845 330 2968
or visit www.kent.gov.uk/adoption.
About 4,000 of those are waiting to be
adopted. Ms Buckley said: "With such a high
number of children entering care, the need
for adopters is at an all-time high. To many,
the idea of adopting more than one child can
feel overwhelming.
"However, from our own work we know
that with the right support, families adopt-
ing siblings can flourish.When siblings enter
care together and all other family ties have
been broken, it's so important that, where
possible, we keep them together.
"To do this we desperately need adopters to
consider if they think they could take on
more than one child."
A lesbian couple who decided to take on
two young brothers said it was the best thing
they ever did and urged others to consider it.
Ali and Kate, from Erith, who are both
experienced teachers, adopted the boys, now
nine and 11, six years ago.
Ali said: "Kate already had children from a
previous marriage, but I really felt the need
to have children of my own. The whole adop-
tion process is long and quite intrusive, but I
wouldn't want that to put anyone off.
"We came up against some barriers due to
the fact we're a gay couple, which came as
quite a shock, but in the end we took on two
boys and they settled really quickly. It's been
an amazing journey for all of us."
Benefits of adopting siblings
Toby Anstis

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