They will float above the delegates’ heads inside the King’s Centre at Eastbourne as a constant reminder of the consortium’s achievements during the one-day event.
The six local authorities involved, including East Sussex County Council, will also be cutting a birthday cake to celebrate.
"The Adoption Consortium has gone from strength to strength by bringing together children and their new families as efficiently as possible and sharing best practice,” said Councillor Meg Stroude, lead member for East Sussex County Council Children’s Services.
The consortium, one of the most successful in the country, was set up to help more children find adoptive families.
The local councils involved, Bexley, Kent, Medway, East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and Bromley, share prospective adopters’ details between them so children can find someone to care for them more quickly and efficiently.
Members also share information about the best ways to provide support for people adopting. All the authorities calculate financial support in the same way as far as possible and follow common guidelines to prepare people who want to adopt. They also work at developing common policies where appropriate.
Speakers at the conference will tackle adoption issues. Professor David Howe of the University of East Anglia will talk about his research into contact with children’s relatives after adoption.
Felicity Collier, chief executive of the British Association of Adoption and Fostering, and Barry Luckock, a senior lecturer in social work at Sussex University, will also be speaking at the conference.
Reference:
05/225/SR
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