Children in need of a loving home are facing a brighter future after 120 people stepped forward to change their lives.

The Leicester Mercury launched our Find A Family campaign a year ago to help beat a shortage in adoptive and foster parents in Leicestershire.

Working with the city's fostering and adoption team we set out to find 50 adopters and 50 foster parents.

Since the campaign was launched 60 people have been approved as adopters and 21 as foster parents - 20 per cent more than usual.

But the final figure could be as high as 120, because a further 46 are still going through assessment and training.

Hayley and Louis Wareham, of Glen Parva, were among the couples spurred on by the campaign.

They are now fostering two boys, aged eight and 10, and their one-year-old sister.

Mrs Wareham, 36, who has four children of her own aged eight to 15, said: "I think their lives have changed. They are definitely happier, almost bubbly.

"It is almost like a make-over, the before and after pictures. It is very difficult for me to think how they were. I would say they have become more confident and happy."

Mrs Wareham said the three have benefited from a regular routine.

"I would encourage other people to do this. It's something I had been thinking about but now I've taken the decision I would not go back on it," she said.

Over the past 12 months we have spelt out the urgent need for adoptive and foster parents, have highlighted the cases of children who end up in care after suffering neglect or abuse, and we have examined the challenges facing the city's adoption and fostering team.

People of all ages and backgrounds responded to the call. Recruitment co-ordinator Paul Morley said: "We still want people to come forward.

"Although we've had to close the list for people wishing to adopt children aged under three, we still have a shortage of families for children aged over three."