NATIONAL adoption week will be marked in Brierley Hill on Wednesday (October 19) with people from the borough being urged to find out the facts about adoption at an information event.

Throughout the week, Adoption in the Black Country and Adoption Focus, the new name for the regional adoption consortium which contains Dudley Council, will be breaking down some of the misconceptions about adoption.

They will also highlight the real adoption needs, such as the increasing requirement for adopters for older children and sibling groups, and their efforts will culminate in an event at the Copthorne Hotel from 6pm.

Figures from the British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF) say that nearly half (49 per cent) of all children who are looking for adoptive families are part of a sibling group, but there is currently a shortage of adopters coming forward to adopt siblings.

A spokesman for Adoption in the Black Country and Adoption Focus said: “Children who need to be adopted have usually had a hard start in life and it is even more important for them to experience the stability and support that being with their brothers and sisters can bring.

“Sibling groups are among the children who wait longest to be adopted as there are not enough people coming forward who are able to give them a safe, permanent and loving family.”

More information about adopting one or more child is available at www.adoptionblackcountry.co.uk or at the regional adoption information event.