LAST week, a new service to speed up the adoption process in Wales was launched in the Senedd, Cardiff Bay.

There are currently 139 children on the Wales Adoption Register waiting to be matched with a family and whilst there are 58 adopters referred to the Wales Adoption Register, only 22 are potentially available for these children. There are no adopters referred to the Register who are willing to take a sibling group of over two children.

The National Adoption Service for Wales will promote adoption, increase the number of adopters and ensure good quality post-adoption support. But most importantly, it will give more children the chance to become part of loving families.

The new service is a key part of the Welsh Government’s Social Services and Well Being Act 2014 and plans for transforming the way social services are delivered.

It will bring together adoption services and pool expertise across Wales via a ground- breaking collaborative model that will enable more efficient use of resources.

Wales’ health and social services minister Mark Drakeford said:

“The National Adoption Service for Wales will have the power to deliver the services children and prospective adoptive parents need, addressing any delays or inequalities across Wales.

"Delays in the adoption system have the potential to cause lasting harm to children, robbing them of their best chance of the love and stability of a new family. We all refuse to accept that children can be left to drift in the care system and I expect to see an upward trend over the next few years as the National Adoption Service drives up standards and performance.”

Fittingly, this new Adoption Service was launched during National Adoption Week (November 3-9, 2014.) This year’s campaign run by BAAF, (British Association for Adoption and Fostering) focussed on siblings as sadly, sibling groups are amongst the groups of adopted children who wait the longest to find ‘forever families’ and sometimes end up separated from their brothers and sisters. Of course, not every adopter is able to adopt more than one child, and this year’s campaign is encouraging anyone who is interested in adoption to find out more.

If you would like further information about adoption, please visit the National Adoption Service website at http://adoptcymru.com/ or call 0800 0234 064.