Nearly half of the adoptive children in Cumbria are awaiting their forever home with their brother or sister, often facing longer wait times to find a loving, forever family.

Latest research shows that children in sibling groups wait at least 13 months more than those who are not in a sibling group.

During this National Adoption Week (October 16 to 22), Cumbria Adoption is urging prospective parents to open their hearts and homes to two or more children.

Cumbria Adoption service, working on behalf of Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council, facilitated adoption for 34 children from the Cumbria area in the previous year.

Around 40 per cent of the children awaiting homes last year were siblings.

While adopting multiple children might be daunting, the rewards of adoption are described as 'immeasurable'.

Adopters offer children love and a sense of security, and the prospect of building a content, fulfilled family can be an unrivalled experience.

Cumbria Adoption welcomes applications from every background — age, marital status, gender, sexuality, disability, or employment status are not barriers.

The approval process typically takes 6-8 months, on average.

The organisation also hosts informational events online for interested individuals and couples.

These hour-long sessions, led by adoption experts, provide an overview of the adoption process, the expected timelines, and answer participant queries.

A guest speaker, usually someone with personal adoption experience, shares their journey.

An upcoming information event is scheduled for Wednesday, October 25 at 6pm.

To book a place in the information session, potential adopters can contact Cumbria Adoption through email at events@cumbriaadoption.org.uk.

The organisation is also open to one-on-one appointments and online registration through their website, cumbriaadoption.org.uk, or over the phone at 0303 333 1216.