BLACKBURN with Darwen Council has received a government cash boost, which will offer vital support to adoptive parents.

The council plans to inject the £170,000 grant into post-adoption services, such as therapeutic services and group activities for adopted children, as part of its ongoing Let’s Adopt campaign, which officially launched in January.

Mandy Worsley, who adopted her children after a string of failed attempts to conceive naturally, volunteers for charity After Adoption and believes it is essential that families have experts to turn to for support.

The mum-of-two, from Blackburn, said: “It’s so important that the support and advice you receive during the adoption process doesn’t suddenly stop once you’ve brought your child home.

“It may be that a child has been through a tough time before adoption and it would be wrong to assume that any emotional problems relating to that can just disappear.

“That’s why charities like After Adoption exist so that families have a helping hand when they want a bit of advice or someone to talk to.

“It’s great that Blackburn with Darwen is dedicating this grant to post-adoption services and I’m looking forward to seeing the benefits to families across the region.”

Karen Barrick, head of permanence children’s services at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “We’re thrilled to have received this funding from the Government. We’ve chosen to dedicate the money to post-adoption services as we believe it’s essential that families feel fully supported as they adjust to their new lives together.

“As an adoptive mother myself, I know how daunting it can be and how important it is to have access to help and advice when you need it most.

“We’re confident that our additional services will go some way to ensure that adoptive parents don’t feel alone once their matching process is completed.”