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Merseyside agency unveils online adoption resource
MERSEYSIDE'S
would be adopters can now find the answers to all their adoption
queries thanks to the launch of a new online resource.
Specialist agency Adoption Matters Northwest, which covers
Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton and surrounding areas, officially
unveiled its new and improved website earlier this week.
Billed as a 1-stop shop for all adoption related enquiries website,
features comprehensive details of the adoption process, lists
contact details, and includes a useful frequently asked questions
section. Visitors to the site can also access downloadable
information packs, details of preparation groups as well as Adoption
Matters Northwest news and job vacancies. Those interested in post
adoption services, and inter-country adoption can also source
information. Fully accessible and easy to navigate, the site
signals a new direction for the agency, which was formed in April as
a result of a merger between Cheshire- based Adoption Matters and
Blackburn Diocesan Adoption Agency.
The organisation, which has placed more than 3,500 children, is 1 of
only 30 specialist adoption agencies in the UK and has offices in
Chester, Hale (South Manchester) and Blackburn. Operating
across the North West and North East Wales, Adoption Matters
Northwest works to highlight the plight of an estimated 4,000
children who are still in care throughout the UK and desperate to
find a new family. Dedicated adoption professionals provide
comprehensive support, advice and information to those affected by
adoption, including adoptive parents, people who have been adopted
and birth parents.
Adoption Matters Northwest Chief Executive Norman Goodwin
explained:- “Nowadays, websites are often the first place
people look for information about an organisation or service.
With this in mind, our new site is simple and easy to navigate but
contains all the necessary information about the adoption process
and about Adoption Matters Northwest. It’s essential that
people are aware of all the facts about adoption and this new
website can help them glean the necessary information. Armed with
that knowledge, potential adopters can think hard about taking the
next step and contacting one of our team, who are happy to answer
any questions at any point”.
Adoption Matters Northwest welcomes enquiries from throughout the
North West, North East Wales and beyond, particularly from those
willing to consider adopting sibling groups, school age children,
children from ethnic minorities and those with disabilities or
developmental problems.
For further information about adoption or Adoption Matters North
West contact the team 01244 390938 (Chester) 01254 577 59
(Blackburn) or visit
www.adoptionmattersnw.org.
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Yes,,,
child poverty really does exist in the UK
THE Campaign
to End Child Poverty releases figures and maps showing the extent of
child poverty across the UK to launch a Month of Action on Child
Poverty. 3.8 million children – 1 in 3 – are currently living in
poverty in the UK, one of the highest rates in the industrialised
world. These figures will make disturbing reading for Ministers and
Politicians at a time when the Government is set to miss its target
of halving child poverty by 2010 by a wide margin.
31% of children in the North West are in families living below the
poverty line. Areas with the worst levels of child poverty in the
North West are Knowsley, Liverpool and Manchester. Princess ward in
Knowsley has the highest level of child poverty at 65%. The next 3
wards with the highest levels are in Liverpool: Everton (64.8%),
Granby (64.5%) and Breckfield (64.1%). Manchester has 3 wards of
over 55%: Moss Side (60.7%), Harpurhey (58.6%) and Hulme (58.3%).
Hilary Fisher, Director of the Campaign, said:- “Child poverty
is having a devastating impact on children in the North West and we
need action now to tackle it. The failure of the Government to
adequately address child poverty in the recent CSR has galvanised
members of the Campaign to End Child Poverty into action. Today we
are launching a Month of Action to raise awareness of child poverty
and demand action now. We are calling on the Chancellor to make the
2008 budget a budget to end child poverty. Without the investment of
an extra £4 billion by April 2009 the Government’s commitment to the
child poverty targets is just a hollow promise.”
Poverty experienced during childhood can have a profound effect on
children, their families, and the rest of society. It often sets in
motion a deepening spiral of social exclusion, creating problems in
education, employment, mental and physical health and social
interaction.
The failure to adequately address child poverty has profound
implications for us all. The TUC has estimated that the effect of
child poverty currently costs every person in the UK more than £600
per year, creating a £40 billion drain on the economy.
Over the course of the Month of Action, the Campaign to End Child
Poverty will join with campaign supporters and other organisations
to co-ordinate events and activities across the UK. The first
of these activities, the TUC conference on a Minimum Social Wage
with Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Peter Hain, will be
held on 17 Oct in the Council Chambers at Council House from 11 am
until 4:30 pm. The event is hosted by the Network of Unemployed
Workers Centres.
For more information about local figures and the Month of Action,
including a complete list of activities, go to the Campaign to End
Child Poverty
website.
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