Adoption professionals and foster carers have been recognised in the Queen's Birth Honours.

Margaret Dight, a director of the Catholic Children's Society in Nottingham, was awarded the MBE, along with Mrs Elizabeth Gibb, a co-ordinator for Adoption UK in Scotland.

Ms Dight, 54, of Stathern, Leicestershire, was honoured for helping families through the adoption process.

Over the past 20 years, the children's society has helped over 500 children from the Diocese of Nottingham, find new homes.

She said: "I am absolutely delighted. I think it is a tremendous honour and I feel that it is a joint award for the Catholic Children's Society with which I work."

Also awarded MBEs were Northern Ireland foster carers Mrs Nan McCook, of Ballymoney, County Antrim and Mrs Margaret McGimpsey, of Bangor, in County Down.

Foster carer Mrs Valerie Brown is also awarded the MBE for services to the Islington Parents of Children with Special Educational Needs in north London.

Roger Thomas Thorpe Morgan, of Yarnton, Oxfordshire, received an OBE for services for young people in care

And Lynne Hutchinson, co-ordinator of a Barnardo's respite scheme for families with disabled children in West Yorkshire, received the MBE.

Chairperson of the social workers' training body the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work Miss Ingrid Carol Alexander was also recognised. She was awarded the CBE for services to health and social care.

Also awarded the CBE was deputy chief inspector of the Social Services Inspectorate, David Gilroy, of Harrogate, North Yorkshire. Michael Francis Brennan, lately head of the adoption section at the Department of Health received the OBE.

Academics recognised included Professor Roger Mark Jowell who received a CBE for services to the National Centre for Social Research and Professor Jane Millar, of Bath, Somerset, who gets an OBE for services to social policy research.