NATIONAL Adoption Week starts at the end of this month and more people are being encouraged to consider giving a child a home.

Wiltshire Council is looking for adoptive families for 17 children across the age range. Especially needed are families who can adopt toddlers or school age children or make it possible for groups of brothers and sisters to grow up together.

The council are looking for families for black and minority ethnic children, disabled children and children with emotional difficulties.

Inquiries and applications from all sectors of the community are welcome.

Adoption team manager Andrea Viner said: “There are many assumptions about who can adopt. We don’t want people to think we’ll turn them down because of their age, sexual orientation, if they’re single, or don’t own their own home.

“What we really need are people who can offer a single child or sibling group a loving and supportive family for life. We need people who can help a child recover from the reasons why they came in to care, support them in their development and can help them go on to thrive in a new, forever family.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about adoption can call the adoption team on 01225 715555 or visit wiltshirefosteringandadoption.org.uk.