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The British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) is launching a new research project to explore the feasibility of using the Internet to find families for specific children needing adoption. Over 4,000 children in the UK are currently waiting to be adopted.

BAAF currently publishes a monthly newspaper featuring around 400 children needing adoptive or long-term foster families. The newspaper, Be My Parent , includes photographs and short descriptions of many children considered ‘hard to place’ by adoption agencies. These include children who need to be adopted along with brothers and sisters, children with disabilities, older children and children from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. Last year the paper succeeded in placing 250 children with families.

In a recent survey 88% of people who subscribe to Be My Parent said that they would find an Internet version of the newspaper very useful.

The Scottish Executive is looking at adoption and long term fostering in Scotland. Most of the law on this subject is twenty five years old and now needs brought up to date. In looking at the law the Executive is seeking opinions from different people, including children and young people with direct experience through living in foster care or because they have been adopted. Scottish Ministers are very keen to have the views of young people with personal experience and to take their comments into account in changing the law in Scotland.

The Scottish Executive has asked Save the Children to meet with children and young people to gain an understanding of their experiences and opinions of adoption and long term foster care. The initiative is called ‘Having your say about Adoption and Fostering’. Children and young people of all ages can get involved. It will involve taking part in activities and discussion with a Save the Children worker. This can be done individually or with others. Meetings will be arranged at a time and place suitable for the participants. The activities will take about 1 hour. The names and any personal details of people taking part will be kept confidential.

Save the Children want to hear from children and young people who would like to take part. If you have children interested in taking part Caroline King from Save the Children would like to hear from you. You can contact Caroline by phone, email or post.

By post: Save the Children, 7^th Floor, Haymarket House, 8 Clifton Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5DR

The Sunday Mail in Scotland is looking for Scottish single carers who could share their experiences of adopting a child. The article is about the rise in Scottish single carers and would promote and encourage other single carers to consider adoption.

If you are a Scottish single carer who would be interested or if you would like more details please contact Neera Dhingra at the BAAF Press Office on 0207 593 2053.

The Sunday Mail in Scotland is offering anyone who takes part in the interview a small payment for their time and trouble.

For full details, click here

Experts want more unmarried women to choose lone parenting to help ease a critical shortage of people willing to give parentless children a home.

Last year one in 12 children adopted in Scotland went to single women up from one in 20 five years ago.

Increasing numbers of singles are now becoming adoptive parents but many still believe only couples can qualify.

The Scottish Adoption Association is behind the call to raise awareness about the possibility of adoption by single people.

Chief executive Cathy Dewar said: "Single people have as much right to adopt and as many skills and experience as many couples.

"It is about the strengths they have and the support systems they have set up that is the important factor.

"For some children there can be advantages to a one-to-one relationship and a clarity about routines that might not be the case otherwise.

"It can be a very positive choice and we work very hard to make it successful."

For full details, click here

It started with the cases of three women found to have been wrongly accused of killing their babies.

Monday's Appeal Court ruling over the release of Angela Cannings triggered a review of the conviction of more than 250 parents.

Now the Government has announced the review could extend to as many as 5,000 families who claim their children have been wrongly taken into care and even adopted.

And the complexity of trying to untangle so many civil cases - some involving children put out to adoption years ago - will add hugely to the task of the inquiry ahead

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