Didsbury-Magazine-Jun-Jul-2013

complete your family
adopt with
Manchester
Could you provide a
stable loving home for
a child or children?
Dream of having your own family?
Already have a family but want
to make it complete? Thinking
of adoption, but not sure what’s involved?
We can help you change a child’s life and
follow your dream....
the children
Nearly 100 Manchester children need
families to give them the chance of a
better life. They have suffered some loss
or disruption in their young lives and
need love, stability and a safe nurturing
environment.
The children come from Manchester’s
ethnically and culturally diverse population.
So we welcome adoptive parents from every
community to reflect the children’s individual
background. The children are up to eight
years old, so we are particularly looking for
adoptive parents for the older children.
The children are often lively and likeable.
Helping a child to develop and thrive in
a happy home is a lifelong commitment
requiring skill, energy, patience and a
sense of humour. But changing a child’s
life is a massive reward.
56 l APRIL/MAY 2013
the parents
Martin, aged 45, and his wife Evelyn, 51,
had their lives changed forever when they
adopted with Manchester City Council.
Here’s their story in Martin’s words:
‘To be honest, I didn’t really think that
ordinary working people like us would be
allowed to adopt.
Once we had decided to go with it there
was lots of form-filling, home visits from
social workers and interviews.
Going to meet our oldest, Alex, for the first
time was the most terrifying thing I have
done.
He was 15 months old and had been with
his foster carer most of his life. I remember
I squatted down to say hello and he came
running over. He totally bowled me over.
He was beautiful. He came to live with us
seven days later.
It was really strange when we brought him
home to stay. At bedtime I carried him
upstairs, rocked him in my arms and put
him in his cot. We had a baby monitor on
all night and kept looking in on him.
Five months later Alex’s six-month-old
brother Danny came to live with us. It was
amazing – even though the boys hadn’t
been together before, it was like there
was an instant bond between them.
When their sister Rose was born and
placed for adoption, it tugged at our
heart-strings – we felt that if she couldn’t
be with her mother, she belonged with us
and her brothers.
So in the space of 18 months we found
ourselves with three children. It wasn’t
easy, but the bond I have with them is
stronger than anything else I have known.
Our lives now are our children. Everything
has a purpose. Everything we do and
everything we think about is for our
children.’
Photographs posed by models.
If you think you could provide a
permanent family for a child or
children who need a stable and loving
home, find out more at
www.manchester.gov.uk/adopt
or telephone 0800 988 8931