Five brothers and sisters looking for a family to love

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Posing for a family portrait, these five young brothers and sisters present a happy scene.

But their smiles belie their difficult start in life, a start that no child should have to endure.

The youngsters, including 14-month-old twins, were taken into care because of worries they were being neglected.

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Seeking a new home together: Katie, aged three, holding 14-month-old Dylan, Chloe, two and six-year-old Kieran with Dylan's twin Ryan

Now they are being advertised for adoption, with the authorities determined to keep them together. The chosen couple could even be given help to move house or build an extension to accommodate all five.

The oldest child is six-year-old Kieran, who enjoys school and playing outdoors.

Then there is Katie, who at three likes to play mother to the younger children, Chloe, two, and twins Dylan and Ryan. Their full identities have not been revealed.

The three boys and two girls are being looked after by foster parents after being taken into care by Coventry City Council.

A source close to the case said: "They were very much having to fend for themselves. The children are unable to live with the birth family and there were issues of neglect.

"The local authority was unwilling to leave children in those circumstances. The level it had reached was unacceptable."

The council's adoption service is seeking people "with some experience with children" to adopt the siblings.

Because the adopters are likely to have at least one child of their own already, they will need a house with at least four bedrooms to accommodate the new additions.

A childcare expert said: "It would be better to get the right adoptive parents, even if their housing arrangements are unsatisfactory for so many children, than to start with a couple who have a big enough house but who might be less suitable.

"In such circumstances, it would be better in the long run for the local authority to agree to pay at least some of the cost of moving to a larger house or extending an existing home."

In the year to March 2006, there were 3,700 adoptions from care in England. The five siblings are part of a group of around 30 children waiting to be placed for adoption in Coventry.

Nationwide, there are approximately 5,000 children waiting for adoption, and 80,000 children in the care of local authorities, two-thirds of whom are placed with foster parents. About one quarter of all adoptions are by children's existing foster parents.

It is believed two couples have expressed an interest in adopting the Coventry youngsters and their applications are being considered.

John Blundell, the councillor who speaks on childhood issues on the Tory-run council, said: "Our desire is always to keep the children together, but it is obviously easier to find adoptive parents for one, two or even three children.

"To find parents for five siblings is a big ask - and if it means helping them financially to improve their home or move home to do this, then it is something we will consider.

"I have never known us to put as many as five up for adoption. It is very unusual."

Mr Blundell said it was possible the children could be adopted outside the Coventry area. "Sometimes we actively try to do this to remove them from areas where they have had bad experiences, or sometimes it could be because the adoptive parents live elsewhere", he said.

Barbara Hutchinson, executive director of the British Association of Adoption and Fostering, said the chosen adoptive parents would be eligible for means-tested financial help.

"It is a lot for somebody to take on one child, let alone five, so whoever adopts these children will need lots of emotional and practical support, as well as financial support, and from their neighbours and family, as well as social workers," she said.

• Couples who would like to be considered as adopters for the five children should contact Coventry City Council's adoption service.

 

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