People in Bolton are being asked to consider what family means to them as National Adoption Week highlights that ‘the journey to a family is not always a traditional one’.

From today to Sunday, 27 October, Bolton’s local adoption agency, Adoption Now, is joining others across the country in a bid to raise awareness of ‘Adoption Journeys’ and encourage local people to start theirs.

Sixty-six per cent of people in the North West believe there is no such thing as a ‘normal’ family and 52 per cent come from a ‘non-traditional’ family structure themselves, highlighting to potential adopters the ‘village’ that makes every journey unique - from social workers and foster carers to birth families and grandparents.

Rachel, Winnie & Daniel 

The campaign comes as the latest data shows a 22 per cent increase in the number of children with a plan for adoption not yet matched with an adoptive family in England in 2023-4, compared to the previous year, meaning there are 780 more children not yet placed with a family than there are approved adopters waiting to be matched with a child.

With fewer potential adopters coming forward – believed to largely be a result of the cost-of-living crisis - nearly half (47 per cent) of all children face delays of over 18 months to be placed with an adoptive family.

READ MORE: Meet the Bolton couple who adopted six children

Bolton Council’s Executive Member for Children’s Services, Cllr Martin Donaghy, said: “National Adoption Week is a really important opportunity to highlight that we need adoptive families for a wide range of children, now more than ever, as the gap between the number of children needing adoption and the number of families coming forward to adopt is widening.

“We hope to show that adoptive families are not alone, that there is support available and that each family’s experience will be unique and special in their own ways.

“If you could consider being that special, loving and safe family for a child, please do get in touch with Adoption Now.”

To mark the theme of ‘The Journey’ a new short film, set onboard a train, follows the stories of three adoptive families on their travels, reflecting on the ups, downs and detours of their lifelong journey.

Rachel, who features in the film alongside her two-year-old adopted daughter Winnie, father Daniel and social worker Becky, said:“You have an idea in your head of what family looks like, and for us it’s been different, but even more wonderful in different ways.

“For me, it’s really important that Winnie has a sense of herself and her identity – that she understands that not only do all families look different, but she has more than one family, and that’s OK.”

To find out more about adoption or starting your adoption journey in Bolton, visit adoptionnow.org.uk or call 01204 336096.