'Adopting was the best decision I ever made'

A mother said it was a "no-brainer" for families to think about adoption, if they were able to give a child a home.

Imogen, who adopted a three-year-old boy with her husband in 2015, spoke out as part of National Adoption Week.

It came as Norfolk County Council said its adoption service had 18 children waiting to find a new home.

"Adoption is next-level parenting and it's not something to be rushed into, but it's the best decision I ever made," said Imogen, who lives in Norfolk.

The 44-year-old had thought about adoption since she was a child and felt it was something her family should do.

"To me it seems really, really clear," she explained.

"If you have space and love and time to give to a child, it feels like a no-brainer."

It was nine years ago that Imogen, her husband and step-daughter were joined by a toddler.

He was three at the time, but adoption services have often struggled to find homes for older children.

"Loads of people are obsessed with adopting a baby, which means kids who are in the older category – which he was – don't get a look in," Imogen said.

The Norfolk Adoption Service said it had 10 single children, aged between one and five, in need of adoptive parents.

It also had four pairs of siblings aged between two and five years old.

It comes at a time when, nationally, the rate of adoptions has fallen.

Those behind National Adoption Week said they were encouraging people from all walks of life to consider welcoming a child, adding there was no such thing as a "normal" family.

Imogen said that was an idea she firmly supported.

"We are definitely not a 'normal family' at all. I have a very unusual job, I'm covered in tattoos," she added.

"So I'm very keen on us letting people know that you don't have to be perfect or a cookie-cutter, suburban family in order to adopt."

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