Helen Ames
By Helen Ames

Senior Staff Writer

9 December 2022

| | 2 min read

Make Christmas special for a child by giving them their forever home

This time next year you could be starting new family Christmas traditions - that’s the message from regional adoption agency Adopt North East as they encourage more residents to welcome a child into their home through adoption.

Three children smiling in the snow
Three children smiling in the snow

25 children and young people are currently waiting to be adopted in the North East, spending this Christmas wondering who their new families will be.

Every child deserves a life long family, and Adopt North East are looking for homes that can offer love, commitment, time, and patience to a child.

Since it was founded in 2018, the agency has found hundreds of forever families for children and supported over a thousand adoptive families through their journeys.

This festive season, as people spend more time with family, residents are encouraged to consider whether they too could provide a child with a life-long home.

In January the agency is hosting two in-person information evenings where prospective adopters can hear more about the process, speak to the team, and talk to experienced adoptive parents about their journey as an adopter.

On Tuesday 10 January 2023, the evening will take place at Adopt North East’s office in Longbenton and on Saturday 21 January 2023 the team will be at White Swan Centre in Killingworth. An online information session will also be running on Wednesday 8 February 2023.

Nik Flavell, Senior Manager for Adopt North East, said: “Christmas is a time of joy for many people, a time when we reflect on the year that has passed, spend time with family and soak up the magic of the season.

“For 25 children in our area, this Christmas will spent wondering where they’ll be this time next year and what their new family is going to be like.

“We’re encouraging prospective adopters to come forward and start their new forever today by contacting our teams to find out more about the adoption process. If you start today, this time next year you could be starting new family traditions and making Christmas special for a child.”

Adoptive parents come from all walks of life. The agency considers all applications from people aged 21 and over, regardless of sex, gender reassignment, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, employment status and relationship status.

Adopt North East is a regional adoption agency that is a partnership of North Tyneside, Newcastle, Gateshead, Northumberland, and South Tyneside Council’s.

You can find out more and sign up for the information events here: https://www.adoptnortheast.org.uk/events