CHILDREN who spend some of their formative years waiting to be adopted could be paired up with new families more quickly thanks to a new scheme.
In Cumbria and Lancashire many youngsters wait for nearly three years to be placed with a suitable family with older children, those with siblings and disabled children often waiting even longer.
Lancashire County Council and Cumbria County Council have agreed to team up, forming an adoption consortium pooling potential adopters and children in both counties to increase the likelihood of a match.
In Cumbria there are 23 approved adopters waiting to adopt a child with between 20 and 30 children waiting for a placement.
On average 30 to 40 children are adopted in Cumbria each year.
Adoption workers at both authorities have welcomed the move.
CCC cabinet spokesman for care and social services Coun John Mallinson said: "This is a further step to improve adoption services and hopefully speed up adoption for
children whose needs are best met by being adopted into a new family."
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