One Adoption South Yorkshire is encouraging all potential parents in South Yorkshire to adopt with their local council and make a child's dream a reality.

Launched in 2021, One Adoption South Yorkshire brought together the adoption services from Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield councils.

The agency is responsible for recruiting and assessing new adopters, finding families for children with a plan for adoption across the South Yorkshire region and providing comprehensive, ongoing support to families from a child’s placement into adulthood.

Currently, we have 63 children waiting for adoption. Could you be the one to change a life?

Stephanie Evans, Head of One Adoption South Yorkshire, said: "Adoption is incredibly challenging, but it is equally rewarding and fulfilling.

"We have a lot of adoptive families in South Yorkshire who can testify to this. I'd encourage South Yorkshire residents to attend one of our information sessions, online or in-person, to hear more from our local adoptive families and social workers, learn about their experiences and see if adoption is right for you.

"We welcome and encourage applications to adopt from people of all backgrounds. Your ethnicity, sexuality or religion are not a barrier to adoption. Since we launched in 2021, more than 50 people from the LGBTQ+ community have been approved to adopt or are currently going through the assessment process, for example.

"We aren't looking for the perfect parents, but we are looking for people who are resilient and flexible and can commit to providing a child who may have faced a challenging start in life with a safe, permanent and loving home.

"You don't just adopt a child; you create a family for life."

The teams across South Yorkshire are running information sessions to provide an insight into the process and allow prospective adopters to hear from those who have already adopted to see if it would be right for them.

Events are taking place on:

• Monday 20 February, 2pm to 4pm, Doncaster Library (DN1 3BZ)
• Monday 20 February, 4pm to 7pm, Rotherham Leisure Complex (S65 1BL)
• Tuesday 21 February, 11.30am to 1.30pm, Barnsley Town Hall, Meeting Room 3 (S70 2TA)
• Tuesday 21 February, 10am to 3pm, Sheffield Winter Garden (S1 2HH)
• Wednesday 22 February, 1pm to 4pm, Burton Street Foundation Café, Hillsborough (S6 2HH)
• Thursday 23 February, 10am to 3pm, Weston Park Museum, Sheffield (S10 2TP)
• Friday 24 February, 10am to 1pm, Rawmarsh Library, Rotherham (S62 6AE)
• Monday 27 February, 11.30am to 1.30pm, Library @ the Lightbox, Barnsley (S70 1GW)
• Monday 6 March, 10.30am to 12pm, The Centre at Brinsworth, Rotherham (S60 5BU)

For more information about adopting with One Adoption South Yorkshire, or to see a full list of information events, visit the One Adoption South Yorkshire website.