Since the inception of the Western Bay Adoption Service in 2015 they have helped to place almost 500 children into their forever families.  267 adopters have also been approved during this time by Western Bay, however nationally there is a shortage of adopters, especially those willing to take on children with more complex needs.

To help address this need for adopters the National Adoption Service has recently launched a high profile, national campaign – The Parent You Can Be  which features Wales’ first prime time TV advert for adoption.

As part of the campaign real people who have been through adoption are sharing their experiences.

Chris, who adopted his daughter through Mid and West Wales Adoption Service with his wife in 2015, is one of the adopters supporting the campaign. The couple had been trying for a child but weren’t successful and took a number of years to come the decision to adopt.

Chris said: “When we first started thinking about adoption, we had this idea that in order to give a child what it needed to adapt to a new family, you’d have to have special qualities and couldn’t be in full time work. After doing research, speaking to others and then, going on courses, we realised that we did in fact have those special qualities.

“I did wonder what bond I would have with our daughter and how it would compare with if we’d given birth to her. But as soon as we saw her picture and had a little more about information about her, we knew she would fit in to our family and it didn’t take long for a bond to form.

“We adopted our daughter when she was a little older, so she has some memory of her childhood. We’ve had good days and bad days, but there has always been the support there for us to help her cope with her emotions.

“A child doesn’t want material things; they want to be loved and nurtured. Adoption has been so rewarding for me and I would like to encourage others to just find out more before saying ‘it’s not for me’.”

Suzanne Griffiths, Director of Operations for the National Adoption Service, said:  “There are some misconceptions about who can adopt but there really isn’t a one size fits all approach. It’s all dependent on the individual. The main things they can offer a child are time, patience, and security, as well as love.

“We hope that by showcasing our adopters who come from all walks of life, we can help others to realise the potential in themselves to be a great parent and make that call to their local adoption agency to find out more.”

If you are interested in adoption and would like more information please request an enquiry pack or talk to one of the team today.  #YouCanAdopt