CHILDREN’S charity and outstanding adoption agency, Coram, has entered into a new three year partnership with Thurrock Council to help manage and deliver its adoption service.
Thurrock currently has a relatively small adoption service. The partnership with Coram will enhance Thurrock’s service by focusing on adopter recruitment and assessment so greater numbers of children in the area can be placed with permanent, loving families.
Specifically, the partnership will concentrate on reducing the amount of time that children have to spend in care. It will do this by supporting the recruitment of adopters and speeding up checks and assessments to ensure the right families are found for each child, while preparing prospective adopters so that they have the necessary skills to become parents.
Coram’s successful partnerships with Kent, Harrow, City of London and Redbridge are currently delivering excellent outcomes for looked after children, helping ensure that greater numbers of young people waiting to be adopted have the best chance of stability and secure loving attachments from as early as possible. Coram has also worked with Cambridgeshire County Council to establish a dedicated Voluntary Adoption Agency, Coram Cambridgeshire Adoption.
Dr Carol Homden CBE, Chief Executive of Coram, said: “To date, Coram’s adoption partnerships have improved the lives of many children awaiting a loving, forever family, and show what great work can be done when the expertise and passion of a local authority and a voluntary sector provider are harnessed. I am very much looking forward to working with Thurrock Council to help improve the adoption journey for children in this area too.”
Cllr Bukky Okunade, portfolio holder for children’s social care, said: “I welcome this partnership which can only be good news for our looked after children. It will extend the range of prospective adopters, and improve the support we give them before and after adoption.
“Adoption services across the country – not just here in Thurrock – are under all sorts of pressure to increase the pool and diversity of possible adoption candidates. Our partnership with Coram will also contribute to addressing the national shortage of adopters.”
