This year’s ‘Adoption Changes Lives’ campaign, which coincides with Adoption Week NI (14-20th October), will focus on siblings.

Each year around 85-90 children are adopted in NI, however, last year, 73 children were adopted from care of which 42 per cent, were adopted as part of a sibling group.

The campaign is being led by the Board in partnership with Adoption UK and the Regional Adoption and Fostering Service working closely with HSC Trusts.

In Northern Ireland, over the last couple of years, we have seen falling numbers of enquiries and lower numbers of adoption applications in some Health and Social Care Trust areas.

This has led to a current shortage of available adopters who can meet the needs of the children requiring placement.