RIGHT now, in Cumbria, 45 children are in search of their forever family.

Almost two in three of these children waiting are on the lookout with their brother or sister.

Each child is unique in that they come from different ethnic and religious backgrounds and some have disabilities and others special needs. But they all have had unsettled and traumatic experiences.

Prospective adopters can expect a high quality and professional service from Cumbria County Council’s Adoption Team, the team says.

The whole adoption process normally takes around six months to complete.

James is looking for his forever family and hopes someone will be able to help him.

Here is his story:

James is a little boy with a big wide smile, dark brown hair and big brown eyes. He appears short in stature for his age which is partly due to his developmental delays.

When he first entered care, he was very quiet and reserved with limited speech. However, with support of his hearing aids and through his education healthcare plan, his speech and language are improving and he is now able to engage people in play and his environment.

James can be wary of new people but as he gets to know them he is happy to interact with them. He is now enjoying life, he loves playing outside, he has good coordination when running around or when he is on his bicycle. He loves going to the park and he enjoys going to the zoo but he has a fear of cats and dogs.

James has been in care for a year and has established a good attachment to his foster carer. He entered care after suffering neglectful home conditions.

James will continue to require support from a multi-disciplinary team, including speech and language support and community paediatrics, and will continue to receive paediatric assessment from hospital.

Professionals working with James are confident he will catch up in line with children of his age. Prospective adopters will need to be prepared to support James to progress.

Prospective adopters will also need to be prepared that James is likely to require extensive hospital, health or education appointments or assessments and, consequently, they will need to be able to allocate the time and support he needs.

Three information evenings are being held to give anyone who might be interested more information.

Barrow : June 27, 6pm at The Imperial Hotel

Penrith: June 28, 6pm at The George Hotel

Whitehaven: June 29, 6pm at The Beacon