Do something amazing, transform a life - that is the message being sent out to people across Derbyshire to encourage them to adopt children.

This week is National Adoption Week, which is aiming to recruit new families for the 5,000 children across the country waiting for secure and loving homes.

Derby City Council is desperate to use the event in an effort to find adoptive parents for 80 children who want new mums or dads.

Elsewhere in Derbyshire, there are another 40 children awaiting adoption through the county council - 24 are aged over three and there are two families of three siblings.

The city council is using our website to help prospective adoptive parents find out more about the whole process to aid them in their decision to take on a child or children.

Brothers Tim (eight) and Simon (six) are currently living with a foster family in Derby and are looking for adoptive parents, but do not want to be split up.

Tim said: "Me and Simon would like a 'forever' mum and dad. We get along most of the time, but we do sometimes argue.
"We like going to the park, watching television and eating fish and chips."

While Jacas, Tim and Simon are happy and healthy, they fall into two of the groups of children who wait longest to be adopted.

Siblings who need to stay together, children from ethnic or inter-racial backgrounds, children aged five and over, and disabled youngsters of all ages sometimes do not find suitable families to take them.

In the year ending March, 2001, 3,067 children were adopted in England, which was 12 per cent more than in the previous year. The majority - about 65 per cent - of those children were under five and just over five per cent were aged 10 or over.

Margaret McGlade, director of social services at Derby City Council, said many people ruled themselves out from adopting because they thought they were unsuitable.

In fact, adults of any age over 21, whether married or single, homeowners or tenants, wealthy or earning the minimum wage, and of any ethnic background or sexuality can adopt. Serious health problems, some criminal convictions, such as offences against a child, or living outside the UK are barriers to adopting.

Mrs McGlade said: "We urgently need more people who could offer a child or children a loving and permanent home through adoption. Adoption is a life-long commitment and can be incredibly challenging, but it is also one of the most rewarding things you can do.

"The difference the security of having a permanent family makes to a child's life cannot be underestimated."

Councillor Anne Western, county council cabinet member for health and social care, said: "We are always keen to hear from people wanting to give a loving, stable home to older children and groups of brothers and sisters."

The stages that can eventually lead to adopting a youngster. The first step is making the initial inquiry by getting in touch with a local council adoption department or a voluntary adoption agency.

They may send an information pack or invite you to a meeting. Next, a social worker will arrange a suitable time to meet you at home so you can have more in-depth discussions about why you want to adopt and what you can offer a child.

After the initial meeting, you will fill in an application form and have to give permission for the police to check your background. Once your application is accepted, you enter a period of training and assessment work with your allocated social worker.

At this stage, you will be asked if you could cope with a child with disabilities or behavioural problems and will have to undergo a full medical examination and provide references.

Following the home study, you and your social worker will put together a report. This is when you decide what type of child and how many you would like to adopt. Once completed, the home study report goes before an adoption panel, made up of social workers and other professionals, who decide whether or not you are to be approved.

If approved, your social worker will look for a suitable child, first locally and possibly further afield. You will be given full details, including the child's background and why he or she is available for adoption.

Meeting the child often starts with short visits, followed by longer visits. The child will then move in with you and become part of your family. Once the child has settled in, you can apply for an official adoption order via the courts.

After this is made, all legal parental responsibility for the child becomes yours.

Anyone interested in finding out more, can contact Derby City Council on Derby 718000 or Derbyshire County Council on 01629 580000.