Barnardo's send call for support for children in care system

Last week children's charity Barnardo's made a plea for more people to come forward and offer to become foster carers for the approximate 7000 children who are resident in the UK who are waiting for adoption.

The charity said the need is desperate and provide lots of information that hopes to dispel many of the stigmas and myths that can often put people off of the serious and noble commitment that becoming a foster carer is.

The purpose of their campaign was to get as many people thinking and talking about adoption as they are able.

The campaign was launched in a dramatic style as Barnardo's 2013 Fostering and Adoption week kicked off with eye catching images which were beamed onto the walls of London's Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood using high powered projection technology.

The display's objective was to bring to light the plight of the children in the UK who wait for the longest periods of time to be adopted. It's tragic to say that some of them never get placed parents.

As you can imagine the traumatic effect that this must have on these affected children must be immense and Barnardo's sought to challenge the misconceptions that they believe are the root cause and start debate and conversation.

Cleverly, they chose to play back some of the statistics relating to the issues that many are not aware of.

So, what are some of the issues?

Children who are black or from other ethnic minority groups

White children in care have a higher chance of being adopted by three times. Barnardo's is asking that adults within black and ethnic communities open their minds to adoption more so that there is a wider ethnic representation of families willing to adopt.

Children who are older

When a child reaches is the age of 4 or under the amount of children being adopted averages 1 in 3. There is a dramatic change after this after the age of 5 when the rate of adoption changes to a worrying 1 in 15 which you'll agree is a shocking difference.

Barnardo's wants more people to consider adopting children who are older as they need to go to proper homes just as much as babies do.

Children who are disabled

Barnardo's is calling for more people to come forward and adopt disabled children. This is because the stats tell us that forty two per cent of those in care that are between the ages of five and ten years old have some kind of special needs. This is five times higher than the average in the UK.

Children with brothers and sisters who are also in care

As so many children in care (forty eight per cent) are placed there in sibling groups, Barnardo's is asking that prospective foster parents who can accommodate the extra responsibility of adopting a child with brothers or sisters too, come forward and help keep children in tighter family groups.