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06 November 2013

Adoption Sunday a huge success

Former England footballer Mark Wright, TV presenter Diane Louise Jordan and 200 churches get behind Adoption Sunday.

"There's nothing better than the sound of children laughing," said Mark Wright, former Liverpool and England footballer. Krish Kandiah, executive director: churches in mission at the Evangelical Alliance, was interviewing Mark as part of Frontline Church's Adoption Sunday in Liverpool. Mark and his wife Sue are foster carers and have recently launched a campaign to find 10,000 new foster carers in the UK.

Frontline Church was one of over 200 churches throughout the UK taking part in the first national Adoption Sunday, organised by the Evangelical Alliance as part of the Home for Good initiative.

It was an opportunity for churches to celebrate our adoption into God's family, recognise the great work that foster carers and adoptive families do and encourage more people to consider fostering and adoption.

Mark Wright wasn't the only well known name to get behind Adoption Sunday. Diane-Louise Jordan also featured it on her Sunday morning show on BBC Radio 2. As well as sharing her own family story she played Amie Aitken's new single, 'This I know'. Amie, herself adopted, is a young singer-songwriter who has teamed up with Home for Good and in 2014 aims to travel the country performing, telling her story and encouraging others to consider fostering or adopting.

Meanwhile, Krish Kandiah, Malini Colville, the Home for Good campaign coordinator, and local champions were interviewed on over 30 local BBC radio stations.

Phil Green, programme manager at the Alliance, and campaign manager for Home for Good explains: "We have been so encouraged by initial reports of the impact of Adoption Sunday. There have been reports of churches giving adoptive families the red-carpet treatment as they arrived for the service, an adoption-themed magic show, hundreds of balloons representing the children in care in a city, many tears being shed as adopted children shared their stories and as people watch the Home for Good film. Most importantly, we're already aware of dozens of people who have expressed an interest in fostering and adoption.

We have a vision to see one family from every UK church adopting or fostering, while other families in the church wrap around them to offer support. Is it possible that between the 200 churches that took part, there would be homes provided for 200 vulnerable children? It's exciting to see numbers heading that way."

Many of the services were attended by representatives from local authority adoption teams and adoption agencies – demonstrating that there is a real desire from them to engage with churches.

In Crewe, the children's minister Edward Timpson MP attended the Adoption Sunday service at West Street Christian Fellowship, a church in his constituency. He shared his own story – his parents fostered, so he grew up with foster siblings – and encouraged people to consider fostering or adoption, he closed by saying, "I want you to know that you could do this too."

Look out for the Home for Good resources being planned for Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Adoption Sunday 2014.

Find out more about fostering and adoption: www.homeforgood.org.uk