GROWING numbers of children in care are finding permanent homes, thanks to an increase in adoptions across Lancashire.

In the Lancashire County Council area, the number of adoptions of looked-after children – youngsters who were previously in local authority care – has increased from 50 in 2011, to 83 in 2014 already.

A Lancashire County Council spoke-swoman said that 80 per cent of looked-after children were in care due to abuse or neglect.

Barbara Bath, Lancashire County Council's fostering and adoption recruitment service manager, said: “Adoption is one of a number of options for providing a permanent, loving, stable family home for a child who is no longer able to live within their own family.

“We're pleased that the number of children we suc-cessfully placed for adop-tion has increased again this year and we’ll continue to encourage more adoptive parents to come forward.

“We would encourage anyone interested in adopt-ion to visit the Lancashire County Council website or call the adoption service to find out more.”

In Blackburn, numbers of children finding permanent homes have doubled from 21 in 2011 to 42 in 2013.

Often children and young people with complex needs can find it more difficult to find a permanent family, but in Blackburn increasing numbers of these children are being succ-essfully placed.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s ado-ption service launched Let’s Adopt in January in a bid to find homes for a wide spectrum of children in care.

The campaign has also helped educate potential parents in the borough and surrounding areas that single people, non-home-owners, those in full-time employment, same-sex cou-ples and over 21s are elig-ible to adopt.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s adoption team has experienced a high success rate in finding families for children with additional requirements over the past four years.

Last year seven children were adopted, up from four the year before.

Karen Barrick, head of permanence children’s ser-vices at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “We have an excellent track record.”

For more information, or to register an interest, visit www.letsadopt.co.uk