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Family Solicitors

West Sussex County Council support National Adoption Week (14 October 2016)

Date: 14/10/2016
Duncan Lewis, Family Solicitors, West Sussex County Council support National Adoption Week

Councillors and staff at West Sussex County Council are showing their support for National Adoption Week from 17 to 23 October by organising a series of drop-in sessions to give residents the opportunity to find out more.

The annual event is a reminder of the numbers of children who need to be adopted every year. In 2015, around 40 children were found permanent homes with local families through adoption in West Sussex.

The majority of children currently waiting to be adopted in West Sussex are aged up to eight years – and include siblings and children with a range of disabilities.

Adoptive parents take on full parental responsibility for a child through a legal process – and make a lifelong commitment to enhance a child’s life.

It is not necessary to be married or in a relationship to adopt a child – and although prospective parents have to be over the age of 21, there is no set upper age limit.

West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children – Start of Life, Stephen Hillier, said:

“A child’s life can be transformed by the love of an adoptive parent and we would like to encourage more people to give someone a life changing experience with a new home.

“If you are thinking about adopting, then the best advice is to come along to one of our information sessions and hear about what it involves.

The County Council’s series of drop-in sessions for National Adoption Week aim to to give residents the opportunity to find out more. The events will feature people who have adopted children in West Sussex.

Jo adopted two children who are siblings through West Sussex County Council.

“I was nervous when I went along to the council’s fostering preparation course and discovered I was the only single adopter.

“However, I needn’t have worried – I made friends with several couples who were also going through the process, one of whom lives around the corner.”

Although the assessment was quite a lengthy process, she said that, after she was given the green light, everything happened really quickly.

“I was about to go on holiday when I saw my little boy’s profile – and although there weren’t many details and there was no photo, I still knew straight away this was the right child for me.

“Meeting your child for the first time is pretty amazing.”

Jo adopted the boy, who was seven months’ old – and has since also adopted his younger sister.

Duncan Lewis Family Solicitors

Duncan Lewis family solicitors can advise on a wide range of family and child care matters, including adoption, surrogacy, parental responsibility, co-parenting agreements, guardianship and wardship.

Duncan Lewis family and child care lawyers are also able to advise on:

• Child care arrangements
• Child maintenance
• Civil Partnerships
• Court Orders
• Divorce
• Domestic violence & honour crimes
• Dowry disputes
• FGM
• Forced marriage
• International child abduction
• International marriage and divorce
• Islamic marriage and divorce
• Property disputes
• Separation agreements
• Spouse abandonment
• Wills and trusts.

For expert legal advice on family law and child care matters, call Duncan Lewis family solicitors on 0333 772 0409.


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