Adoption in Merseyside (AiM) is the Regional Adoption Agency for Liverpool, Knowsley, Wirral and Sefton. AiM has helped find loving and stable homes for over 370 children since merging as a Regional Adoption Agency.  We have approved over 180 adoptive families over the last 5 years but want to approve many more moving forward.  There are still lots of children including sibling groups that need a safe and loving future.

Supportive Process

AiM has supported people through the adoption process regardless of gender, marital status, religion, and race. Many people think they can’t adopt because of a health condition, but this isn’t necessarily the case.

Natalia and Steve always wanted a family, but they were told they had sub-fertility. They knew adoption was their next choice as they had a loving home to offer.

Loving Home

Natalia was diagnosed with a mental health condition called bipolar disorder. Her condition had been well managed for over 10 years. However, she was still worried about how people would perceive her condition and the impact it would have on the process.

“We always wanted children and we knew that there were plenty of children that needed loving and stable homes.”

“There is still plenty of stigma around mental health and I thought it could be a barrier if I wanted to adopt. But this wasn’t the case at all. My social worker couldn’t have been more supportive, and everything went smoothly during the process.”

Making Memories

Natalia and Steve went on to adopt two children. Music is a big part of their life, they regularly attend family festivals and enjoy making memories as a family.

“We would actively encourage anyone thinking of adopting to attend an Information Session and contact AiM. Adopting a child can be challenging but it’s the best thing we have ever done’.

Elaine Jamieson, Recruitment and Assessment Manager at AiM said: 

“We actively encourage and welcome those with a wide range of backgrounds to apply to adopt. There are lots of adopters that have been successful in adopting that have experienced poor mental health. We look at how those symptoms are managed during the process to ensure people can cope with the needs of an adopted child and also balancing this with their own emotional well being”.

Craig Brougham, the Family Finding Manager at AiM said:

“We are constantly striving to find the right match for our children, but we don’t have enough adopters. We have lots of children waiting and it’s important that we find the right families for them. The earlier they begin living with their new families the better start they have in all aspects of their lives – play and learning, education, relationships, it all gets such a boost. Over 50% of the children waiting are part of a sibling group, so we need families who can take on the needs of two or more children. As a last resort, we may end up separating siblings for them to have more chance of finding a new family, so we really need adopters where brothers and sisters can grow up together.”

If you want more information, request an information pack at www.adoptioninmerseyside.co.uk