Children with additional needs wait an average of 11 months longer in care than their peers, and voluntary adoption agencies (VAAs) are urgently looking for people who can offer them a permanent and loving home.

Diagrama Fostering and Adoption is among 21 VAAs from all over the UK who have together created a new guide for people considering adoption containing helpful information and advice from parents who have already adopted children with additional needs.

Kate Patel, Head of Fostering and Adoption at Diagrama, said: “It may sound daunting for people thinking about adoption to consider a child with additional needs but our adoptive parents who have done so say it is incredibly rewarding. It gives a child the chance to flourish and to grow up with the love and security that every child deserves.

All children can have additional needs at times. These could be to do with their development, learning, communication, behaviour or emotional wellbeing. There are also children with physical disabilities. Many of the thousands of children waiting in care who have additional needs, wait nearly a year longer than other children. We want to change that. We are excited to be part of this project sharing first hand, heartfelt experience and advice from families who have already done this incredible thing of adopting a child with additional needs.”

Diagrama specialises in finding families for children who wait the longest. We are an independent, not-for-profit organisation providing families with vital support both when the children are placed and into their future lives.

Download a copy of the advice guide here.